SIMI VALLEY : Valley Fever Survey Reinforces Theory

About one in 12 Simi Valley residents tested for valley fever had been exposed to the fungal infection, a finding that reinforces Ventura County officials’ view that the recent earthquake prompted the spate of cases.

Federal researchers, puzzled by an outbreak of 178 local cases this winter, randomly surveyed about 250 east Ventura residents and found 7% had evidence of the disease. A much smaller percentage had been exposed before the Jan. 17 Northridge earthquake, said Gary Feldman, director of the county Health Department.

The epidemiologists from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention returned Thursday to Atlanta, where they will analyze the data. But Feldman called the preliminary results reassuring.

But Feldman’s counterpart in neighboring Los Angeles County remained skeptical about blaming the valley fever outbreak on the earthquake. That county has reported only 10 cases since January, said Shirley Fannin, director of the Los Angeles County Health Department.

Fannin suggested that Ventura County residents who had already been exposed to the infection rushed to the doctor for testing after news reports about the disease.

But Feldman said the CDC tests reveal there was not widespread exposure before the quake. Valley fever, spread by airborne spores, can cause flu-like symptoms in its mild form or meningitis and death in the most serious cases.

A 71-year-old Simi Valley man died of the disease last month.