Researchers from Northern Arizona University and the University of Washington have teamed up to create a vaccine for Valley fever, an infectious fungal disease that thrives in dry, hot soils. (Photo by Kris Hanning/University of Arizona Health Sciences)
Bridget Barker, a biology professor at Northern Arizona University, has been studying Valley fever for 20 years. She is working with researchers at the University of Washington to develop a vaccine against Valley fever – a first for any fungal disease. (Photo courtesy of Northern Arizona University)
PHOENIX – A new research program combining the efforts of Northern Arizona University and the University of Washington aims to create a vaccine for Valley fever, an infectious fungal disease that poses an increasing threat as the climate continues to heat and dry.
“There’s no vaccine for any fungal disease, so we’re really entering completely new territory,” said Deborah Fuller, UW professor of microbiology and vaccine specialist. “If we’re successful, this would be a huge breakthrough … not just for valley fever, but for fungal diseases in general.”
Valley fever, scientifically known as coccidioidomycosis, mainly affects people living in the southwestern states. Its spores thrive in the soils of hot, dry climates and are small enough to be inhaled by humans and animals alike, causing a lung infection.
Symptoms include fatigue, headache, muscle pain and cough. But because these symptoms are indiscriminate, Valley fever can be misdiagnosed and treated incorrectly.
On average, about 200 deaths associated with coccidioidomycosis were reported each year from 1999 to 2019, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Those most at risk of serious problems include African Americans, Filipinos, people with weakened immune systems, and women in their third trimester of pregnancy.
Chelsea Henry, 28, who lived in the Phoenix area in high school, learned she had Valley fever after suffering five weeks of debilitating fatigue. Eventually she recovered.
“I slept 22 hours a day for over a month,” Henry said. “I ended up missing a lot of my classes because of it.”
It wasn’t until she had a chest scan for something unrelated that doctors found a calcification in her lungs and determined that Valley fever was to blame for her exhaustion.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Valley fever symptoms can become noticeable one to three weeks after a person inhales the spores and can last from several weeks to several months.
Researchers from Northern Arizona University and the University of Washington have teamed up to create a vaccine for Valley fever, a fungal disease that mainly affects people living in southwestern states. Its spores thrive in the soils of hot, dry climates and are small enough to be inhaled by humans and animals alike, causing a lung infection. (Graphic courtesy of CDC)
Antifungal medications can control the fungus, but sometimes they don’t kill it completely. However, many people who have been infected develop lifelong immunity to the fungus.
Bridget Barker, a biology professor at NAU, says public education about the disease in regions where Valley fever is endemic is crucial to proper treatment.
“Even in Arizona, where we have a high disease burden, the likelihood of getting a timely diagnosis is actually quite low,” Barker said.
Right now, there is no fully effective treatment for Valley fever, but Barker’s team is looking for a vaccine.
In September, NAU and a team from the University of Washington received a $1.5 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, with the potential to receive $7.5 million over the next five years.
The project includes the launch of the Coccidioidomycosis Virulence, Immune Response and Vaccine Cooperative Research Center. The effort was spurred by a congressional mandate that the National Institutes of Health develop a Valley fever vaccine within 10 years.
Because climate change is expanding the viable range for the spread and growth of coccidioid spores, the NIH has recognized Valley fever as an increasingly urgent public health problem.
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“This is really an emerging infectious disease of climate change,” said UW’s Fuller. “Increasing fires, increased dryness, heat and things like that are allowing things to spread more in our soils.”
Fuller is one of the researchers responsible for leading the Valley Fever project, bringing her expertise in vaccine development to the table. She has previously worked on HIV, influenza and even COVID-19 using nucleic acid vaccine technology.
This project is a big departure from her previous work, Fuller said, considering it’s the first time she’s tried to develop a vaccine for a fungal disease.
Because coccidioid spores have a multistage life cycle, Fuller’s team must create an effective vaccine against all of them. To do this, the researchers will use Barker’s pathogenetic research to look for ways to prevent the spores from developing or replicating.
Barker has studied Valley fever for 20 years. Her research is mainly based on genome sequencing and learning about the ecology of the fungus. Between her understanding of the organism itself and Fuller’s expertise in vaccines, Barker said, the team has a good chance for success.
“There’s still a lot to do,” Barker said. “But I really think at the end of those five years, we’ll have a vaccine candidate.”