The Brief

PHOENIX - The calm after a dust storm can bring a hidden danger.

As Valley residents recover from Monday's storm, experts warn of the potential for a rise in valley fever cases.

What we know:

Valley fever, a fungal infection endemic to the desert Southwest, is contracted by inhaling fungal spores from the soil that are kicked up by dust storms. While many people's immune systems fight off the infection as they would a cold or flu, the disease can escalate and have long-lasting effects.

Two Valley men, Chris Sams and Asher Poole, serve as examples of the disease's varying severity, showing that even healthy and active individuals can be affected.

Sams, who was first diagnosed in 2017, described his initial symptoms as rapid weight loss, night sweats and a "really s

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