California Music Festival Hit With Potentially Deadly Fungal Outbreak: ‘It’s No Joke’

                                                             By Aidin Vaziri

Thousands of attendees at a California music festival may have been exposed to a potentially deadly fungal infection.

The California Department of Public Health is investigating several cases of valley fever reported among festivalgoers who attended Lightning in a Bottle at Buena Vista Lake (Kern County) May 22-27.

Among the acts at the electronic dance music festival near Bakersfield were James Blake, Fatboy Slim, Tycho, Bomba Estéreo and Skrillex, who also performed an outdoor concert in San Francisco in June.

So far, five cases have been identified, three of which required hospitalization. Authorities said there are likely more cases circulating among the 20,000 attendees at the event.

Festival attendee Kyle Lewis said that he has been suffering from a severe case of valley fever since attending the event, which has required surgery. Initially unfamiliar with the infection, Lewis thought he had bruised his ribs at the festival.

“It’s had a huge impact on my life,” Lewis said.

Valley fever is a respiratory illness caused by inhaling spores of the coccidioides fungus, commonly found in the soil of California’s lower San Joaquin Valley and the Arizona desert. According to state officials, the disease is increasingly expanding north, exacerbated by climate change. The fungus spreads when soil is disturbed, whether by wind, farming, construction or, in this case, dancing.

Not everyone who inhales the spores will fall ill. Those who do may experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, coughing, chest pain, fatigue and headaches. Symptoms can take weeks to appear.

Valley fever, which is not contagious, can spread to other parts of the body in severe cases, leading to serious complications.

Lewis said his condition requires a procedure called VATS decortication to remove persistent fluid pockets in his chest cavity that are preventing his lungs from expanding normally.

“I lost 40 pounds with this sickness, and the muscle weakness has hit me the hardest,” he added. “I’m not sure how long it will take to recover, but I’m hoping that being able to breathe and not get dizzy will aid in the process.”

Gerasimos Christoforatos, another Lighting in a Bottle attendee diagnosed with valley fever, said that he experienced “extreme fatigue and lack of energy to the point where if I did not stop and lie down, I would collapse” for at least a week.

State officials urge anyone exhibiting respiratory symptoms for more than a week to seek medical attention. About 1 out of every 100 individuals who contract valley fever die.

Despite efforts to raise awareness, the disease remains on the rise in California, where cases surged from fewer than 1,500 in 2001 to more than 8,000 in 2021. In 2022, the last year with available data, nearly 7,500 cases were reported.

“Overall, cases of valley fever in California have increased substantially over the last two years,” CDPH officials said.

While antifungal medications are available to treat symptoms, there is no vaccine for valley fever.

A representative from Lightning in a Bottle said that festival organizers are collaborating with state and local health authorities to better understand valley fever. They aim to implement “preventative measures we can take to reduce valley fever risk for future festival events” and provide this year’s attendees with relevant information.

The representative also noted that the CDHP anticipates 7,000 to 9,000 valley fever cases statewide this year, with 5,400 cases already confirmed. This indicates a significant increase in 2024 due to wet weather conditions.

Despite the health concerns, presale tickets for the 2025 event have already sold out.

Officials did not identify any of the patients, but others posted unverified reports about their experience with the disease on social media.

“About 18 days after I returned home I was hospitalized with a severe lung infection after experiencing a low grade fever, body aches, and a cough. It’s no joke. It’s causing a cavity (a hole) to form inside my right lung and I am not sure when I’ll regain my energy back,” one user wrote on Reddit. “I have been sick and fatigued for weeks, even with treatment.”

Another user who said they were also infected said, “It took a full two weeks to finally start feeling normal, though I’ll still get hit with fatigue here and there and have to nap all day.”

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