Kamal Ghorui
Indian man dies in the US of Valley fever.
Chiranjeevi Kolla, a 37-year-old Indian man, died in California after a month-long battle with Valley fever, his family said via a fundraiser. His cousin Rama Koteswara Rao said that in April Chiranjeevi came down with what felt like an ordinary flu but it kept worsening and he went to the emergency room. Doctors suspected a case of severe pneumonia but after tests, Valley fever was confirmed. Chiranjeevi is survived by his wife, Pavani Marella, and a five-year-old son, Vihan.“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,” the fundraiser said, calling Valley Fever a fungal infection caused by Coccidioides, picked up from the air in California’s soil. “Most people who get it never know. In his case, it overwhelmed his lungs,” the cousin wrote.“Chiranjeevi was the heart of his household and its primary provider. His passing leaves Pavani not only grieving the love of her life, but suddenly facing the full weight of a family on her own — a mortgage, daily life with a 5-year-old, hospital bills from a month-long ICU stay, and final rites the family hopes to honor in both California and India,” the fundraiser raid.“If you knew Chiranjeevi, you already know what we lost. He was the kind of person who never raised his voice, never cut a corner, and never made anyone feel small. He gave the very best of himself to two things: the company he worked for, and the family he came home to. Everyone who worked with him respected him. Everyone who knew him loved him,” it said.
What is Valley Fever ? Is it very common in the US?
According to the CDC, Valley fever is a lung infection caused by breathing in spores from the fungus, Coccidioides, which lives in the soil in some areas in the southwestern U.S. and south-central Washington state. Usually, people who get sick with Valley fever get better on their own, but it is often misdiagnosed, delaying treatment.In the US, Coccidioides lives in soil and dust in the Southwest and parts of the Pacific. Historically, Valley fever spreads in Arizona, California, Nevada and New Mexico, according to CDC. It is most common in California and Arizona. Around 20,000 cases of Valley fever are reported in the US.
