Treatment of Valley Fever

Key points

  • Most infections go away on their own without any medication.
  • People with severe infections are treated with antifungal medications.
  • Most people fully recover with time.
Woman coughing in her arm

Treatment

Many people who get sick with Valley fever have mild symptoms. They often get better without medication within a few months.

Healthcare providers may prescribe 3-6 months of oral antifungal medication like fluconazole. This is for people with more serious infections or people with risk factors for severe infections.

Severe infections

People who have severe lung infections or infections that have spread to other parts of the body need antifungal treatment. These people may need to be hospitalized and for these types of infections, the course of treatment is usually longer than 6 months. Valley fever that develops into meningitis is fatal if it’s not treated, so lifelong antifungal treatment is necessary for those cases.

A hospital patient being checked by a healthcare provider
Treatment of severe valley fever can take longer than six months

Outcomes

Most people who have Valley fever fully recover. A small percentage of people develop long-term lung infections that can take several years to get better. In very severe cases of Valley fever, rarely the nervous system can be affected and there may be long-term damage.

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Content Source:
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)