The Brief

PHOENIX - Emergency rooms and urgent care facilities in the Phoenix area are one step closer to having a new Valley Fever test on hand, thanks to the Arizona State University and the Mayo Clinic.

What is Valley Fever?

Big picture view:

According to the Cleveland Clinic's website , Valley Fever is a fungal infection in a person's lungs, and it can be contracted by breathing in a fungus called Coccidioides .

"The fungus lives in the soil in the southwest U.S., parts of Washington state and in Central and South America," read a portion of the website.

Cleveland Clinic officials say the infection is most common in Arizona and California, and that about 20,000 people get it each year.

"The spores can be inhaled, and once they're inhaled, then the fungus transforms in your

See Full Page