Final answer:
Coccidioidomycosis, or Valley Fever, is an infection by Coccidioides imartis, primarily present in certain regions of the Americas. It can lead to severe symptoms, particularly in immunocompromised individuals, and is diagnosed either through culture or antibody tests.
Step-by-step explanation:
Coccidioidomycosis, often called Valley Fever, is an infection caused by the dimorphic fungus Coccidioides imartis. This fungus is most common in the San Joaquin Valley of California and other semi-arid to arid regions including the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central and South America.
It spreads through inhalation of airborne spores, and once in the lungs, it can cause symptoms resembling tuberculosis. In addition to pulmonary challenges, systemic mycoses such as coccidioidomycosis can spread to internal organs and potentially cause granulomatous lesions on the face and nose, and in severe cases may lead to fatal complications such as meningitis, particularly in immunocompromised patients.
Diagnosis of Valley Fever involves culturing clinical samples or serological tests for antibodies. The fungus is known to grow on Sabour Aud's dextrose agar, but it is highly infectious and used to be classified as a BSL-3 microbe due to its potential for causing laboratory-acquired infections. Treatment for disseminated infection may involve intravenous administration of antifungal drugs such as amphotericin B.