A rare case of Valley Fever caused by Coccidioides fungi, which is mainly found in the soil of the southwestern US, Mexico, and South America, ended the life of a 37-year-old Indian IT professional living in California on May 5.
A family left behind after an unexpected tragedy
Chiranjeevi Kolla, who was living in California with his wife Pavani Marella and his 5-year-old son Vihan, was suffering from flu-like symptoms from early April. In the details given by a fundraiser, it was stated that as his conditions worsened, he was initially taken to the emergency room, where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. Later, further tests confirmed that he was detected positive with Valley virus. When his health deteriorated further, he was intubated and placed on a ventilator. Kolla lost his life after fighting for around 30 days.
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GoFundMe campaign, which is a fundraiser started by his cousin Rama Koteshwara Rao, gave more details to News18, “He was intubated and placed on a ventilator. For nearly a month, Pavani sat beside him in the ICU, holding his hand, talking to him, telling Vihan that Daddy was fighting hard. Their son is five. He kept asking when his father was coming home. The doctors had done all that medicine could do. After thirty long days of machines and monitors and prayers, his exhausted body could fight no longer.”
Chiranjeevi, who was the sole breadwinner for his family, his death has taken a major toll on his wife, who is left to deal with financial responsibilities, including mortgage, medical expenses, daily household costs, along with the funeral arrangements in India and California, while dealing with this massive loss.
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What is this rare Valley Fever?
A fungal infection that can be easily mistaken for flu, as the symptoms are very similar -fever, cough, and fatigue, and mainly harms the lungs. Valley fever is an airborne infection where the fungi Coccidioides reside in soil and are commonly found in the dry and dusty regions of the southwestern US, Mexico, and parts of Central and South America, primarily in places like Arizona, California, and western Texas.
It is mostly caused through inhalation of Coccidioides spores that become airborne when soil is disturbed by construction, farming, or wind. It can start with a mild lung infection and then spread to the other parts of the body, resulting in a more serious and life-threatening condition.
