With the recent heat waves crashing into the Southwest – California, Arizona, Mexico, Central and South America – a sneaky yet serious disease called Valley Fever has increased over the past couple of years and it is at it all time high.

California Federal Health Officials say that Valley Fever is potentially lethal because it is often misdiagnosed for another disease. They say that “the fever can be contracted by simply breathing in fungus-laced spores from dust disturbed by wind as well as human or animal activity. The fungus is sensitive to environmental changes, experts say, and a hotter, drier climate has increased dust carrying the spores.”