Coccidioidomycosis

Infection with a fungus of the genus COCCIDIOIDES, endemic to the SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES. It is sometimes called valley fever but should not be confused with RIFT VALLEY FEVER. Infection is caused by inhalation of airborne, fungal particles known as arthroconidia, a form of FUNGAL SPORES. A primary form is an acute, benign, self-limited respiratory infection. A secondary form is a virulent, severe, chronic, progressive granulomatous disease with systemic involvement. It can be detected by use of COCCIDIOIDIN.

Also Known As:

Networked: 527 relevant articles (53 outcomes, 47 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Disease Context: Research Results

Related Diseases

1.	Histoplasmosis
2.	Blastomycosis
3.	Aspergillosis
4.	Infection
5.	Cryptococcosis

Experts

1.	Blair, Janis E: 19 articles (03/2015 - 11/2004)
2.	Ampel, Neil M: 18 articles (09/2015 - 09/2002)
3.	Pappagianis, Demosthenes: 14 articles (08/2015 - 09/2002)
4.	Blair, J E: 11 articles (06/2015 - 11/2001)
5.	Galgiani, John N: 11 articles (06/2014 - 03/2006)
6.	Wheat, L Joseph: 8 articles (10/2015 - 03/2007)
7.	Fierer, Joshua: 8 articles (03/2014 - 05/2006)
8.	Johnson, Suzanne M: 6 articles (08/2015 - 09/2002)
9.	Thompson, George R: 6 articles (01/2015 - 09/2011)
10.	Vikram, Holenarasipur R: 6 articles (10/2014 - 12/2009)

Drugs and Biologics

Drugs and Important Biological Agents (IBA) related to Coccidioidomycosis:

1.	Fluconazole (Zonal)FDA LinkGeneric 02/01/1995 - "Successful therapy of coccidioidomycosis of the knee with fluconazole." 01/01/1990 - "SDZ89-485 was more slowly absorbed, reaching a peak level in blood of 14 micrograms/ml at 12 to 15 h after a dose of 50 mg/kg. We conclude that SDZ89-485 is more effective than fluconazole as treatment for experimental systemic coccidioidomycosis in mice, even though fluconazole achieves higher peak levels in blood." 03/01/1995 - "Fluconazole 200 or 400 mg/d is well tolerated and a moderately effective treatment for chronic pulmonary or nonmeningeal disseminated coccidioidomycosis. " 01/01/2014 - "The patient had positive coccidioidomycosis serologies and he was started on fluconazole with resolution of symptoms and improvement in transaminitis over the next month. " 05/01/1990 - "Efficacy of SCH39304 and fluconazole in a murine model of disseminated coccidioidomycosis."
2.	Itraconazole (Sporanox)FDA LinkGeneric 11/01/1992 - "Itraconazole, a tricyclic azole effective against a number of deep mycotic diseases, was used to treat a Quarter Horse filly with coccidioidomycosis. " 09/01/1990 - "The purpose of this study was to assess the tolerance and efficacy of itraconazole in the treatment of coccidioidomycosis. " 01/01/2010 - "We report 2 cases of coccidioidomycosis involving bone in children successfully treated with itraconazole oral solution. " 01/01/2010 - "Itraconazole treatment of nonmeningeal coccidioidomycosis in children: two case reports and review of the literature." 09/01/1991 - "We believe that itraconazole is an effective drug to treat coccidioidomycosis with a wide safety margin. "
3.	Amphotericin B (Amphotericin)FDA LinkGeneric 06/01/2004 - "The therapeutic efficacy of three lipid formulations of amphotericin B was compared with that of conventional amphotericin B in treatment of murine coccidioidomycosis. " 09/01/2007 - "Until this time amphotericin B and its lipid congeners have been regarded as the "gold standard" of therapy for severe pulmonary and disseminated coccidioidomycosis. " 09/01/1991 - "Amphotericin B colloidal dispersion shows promise for the therapy of disseminated coccidioidomycosis and should be tested in other animal models and in humans." 05/24/1958 - "Disseminated coccidioidomycosis apparently cured with amphotericin B." 10/01/1984 - "Central nervous system coccidioidomycosis: a clinicopathologic study of treatment with and without amphotericin B."
4.	AntigensIBA 01/01/1997 - "The recombinant antigen was also more effective in distinguishing the antibody levels in sera from patients with pulmonary coccidioidomycosis than in sera from those with disseminated disease. " 03/01/2007 - "The Histoplasma antigen test had positive results when urine samples from 11 (58%) of 19 patients who had acute or chronic coccidioidomycosis were tested. " 10/01/2015 - "Cerebrospinal fluid Coccidioides antigen testing in the diagnosis and management of central nervous system coccidioidomycosis." 08/01/2015 - "Whole-blood samples were obtained from subjects with active coccidioidomycosis and controls and incubated for 18 h with T27K, a coccidioidal antigen preparation. " 08/01/2015 - "Cytokine Profiles from Antigen-Stimulated Whole-Blood Samples among Patients with Pulmonary or Nonmeningeal Disseminated Coccidioidomycosis."
5.	Ketoconazole (Nizoral)FDA LinkGeneric 03/01/1988 - "From these studies, it is concluded that ketoconazole in doses above those currently recommended offer little or no benefit for most patients with non-meningeal forms of coccidioidomycosis." 10/01/1983 - "All completed studies of ketoconazole treatment of human coccidioidomycosis have been non-comparative in design. " 07/01/1980 - "Treatment of coccidioidomycosis with ketoconazole: clinical and laboratory studies of 18 patients." 03/01/1995 - "Ketoconazole was the most common antifungal agent used to treat cats with coccidioidomycosis. " 11/01/1990 - "Of note, 3 patients developed coccidioidomycosis while receiving ketoconazole for other conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"
6.	Antifungal AgentsIBA 08/01/2011 - "Although recent studies suggest that the incidence of symptomatic coccidioidomycosis during pregnancy is decreasing and that outcome has improved, management is complicated by the observations that azole antifungal agents can be teratogenic when given to some women, particularly at high doses, early in pregnancy. " 09/01/2007 - "A number of studies addressing the efficacy of various antifungal agents have been performed, and the results of these studies as they pertain to skeletal coccidioidomycosis are summarized herein. " 05/01/2006 - "For the Finland lecture, I will briefly discuss the development of the Mycoses Study Group, provide an overview of the currently available antifungal agents, and describe advances and lessons related to the treatment and management of cryptococcal meningitis (the most common form of fungal meningitis), 3 important endemic mycoses (namely, blastomycosis, histoplasmosis, and coccidioidomycosis), candidemia and invasive candidiasis (the most common forms of nosocomial fungal disease), and invasive aspergillosis (the most common form of invasive mould disease). " 12/01/2004 - "The treatment of choice for cutaneous coccidioidomycosis is currently oral azole antifungal agents, such as itraconazole 400 mg daily, continued for 6 months after clinical response. " 12/01/2004 - "We present 2 cases of septic shock associated with coccidioidomycosis that were successfully treated with drotrecogin alfa (activated) in combination with antifungal agents. "
7.	CoccidioidinIBA 09/01/1949 - "[Intradermoreaction with coccidioidin; contribution to the study of coccidioidomycosis in Paraguay]." 05/01/2001 - "The prevalence of skin reactivity to coccidioidin in a population sample of 1651 subjects in a coccidioidomycosis endemic zone was estimated using a transversal design. " 05/01/1988 - "The development of an appropriate host defense in coccidioidomycosis is predicated on the presence of a positive delayed skin test reaction to coccidioidin. " 12/27/1982 - "These results support the continued use of coccidioidin to evaluate the need for therapy in diabetic subjects who have coccidioidomycosis. " 04/01/1980 - "Counterimmunoelectrophoresis employing coccidioidin in serologic testing for coccidioidomycosis."
8.	nikkomycinIBA 10/01/2013 - "Efficacy of Nikkomycin Z for respiratory coccidioidomycosis in naturally infected dogs." 06/15/2014 - "Modeling nikkomycin Z dosing and pharmacology in murine pulmonary coccidioidomycosis preparatory to phase 2 clinical trials." 06/15/2014 - "Nikkomycin Z (NikZ) is a chitin synthase inhibitor with activity against Coccidioides species that is being developed as a first-in-class orphan product for treatment of coccidioidomycosis. " 01/01/1993 - "Other agents such as nikkomycin and modified polyenes may enter a role in clinical evaluation of coccidioidomycosis, but for the next five years the drugs described in the preceding pages, or combinations, are likely to constitute the pharmaceutical arsenal against C. " 04/01/1990 - "In vivo, nikkomycin Z was more effective than nikkomycin X, was also found to be superior on a milligram per milligram basis to the majority of azoles tested in the models of coccidioidomycosis and blastomycosis, and was moderately effective in histoplasmosis. "
9.	deoxycholate drug combination amphotericin BIBA 12/01/2007 - "The therapeutic efficacy of caspofungin alone and in combination with amphotericin B deoxycholate was evaluated in treatment of murine coccidioidomycosis. " 12/01/2007 - "Therapeutic efficacy of caspofungin alone and in combination with amphotericin B deoxycholate for coccidioidomycosis in a mouse model." 12/01/2007 - "This study indicates that caspofungin has efficacy against systemic coccidioidomycosis in a murine model given in combination with amphotericin B deoxycholate." 09/01/1991 - "Comparative efficacy of amphotericin B colloidal dispersion and amphotericin B deoxycholate suspension in treatment of murine coccidioidomycosis." 10/01/2004 - "A 31-year-old Jamaican man with disseminated nonmeningeal coccidioidomycosis that involved the spine, ribs, pelvis, liver, and spleen did not clinically respond to a prolonged course of both amphotericin B deoxycholate and liposomal amphotericin B therapy. "
10.	Adrenal Cortex Hormones (Corticosteroids)IBA 08/01/2013 - "A retrospective review was conducted of immunocompetent patients with acute pulmonary coccidioidomycosis who received systemic corticosteroids for relief of coccidioidal-related symptoms. " 08/01/2013 - "The impact of early and brief corticosteroids on the clinical course of primary pulmonary coccidioidomycosis." 06/28/1993 - "In such cases, corticosteroids may lead to overwhelming coccidioidomycosis. " 08/01/2002 - "Corticosteroids have been avoided as adjunctive therapy to antifungals in the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to coccidioidomycosis because of the fear of enhancing fungal virulence, but they have been proven safe and effective in other infectious entities. " 08/01/2013 - "Primary pulmonary coccidioidomycosis can often be associated with hypersensitivity symptoms treatable with a short course of palliative corticosteroids. "

Therapies and Procedures

1.	Salvage Therapy 06/01/2013 - "Additional in vitro and in vivo evaluations are warranted to support the role of V/C salvage therapy for refractory coccidioidomycosis." 12/15/2007 - "Limited clinical experience suggests efficacy for the treatment of infections due to Zygomycetes and as salvage therapy for patients with invasive aspergillosis and coccidioidomycosis. " 08/01/2008 - "In addition, it has been licensed for use in oropharyngeal candidiasis and for salvage therapy in invasive aspergillosis, fusariosis, coccidioidomycosis, chromoblastomycosis, and mycetoma. " 06/01/2013 - "Nine children with refractory coccidioidomycosis were treated with V/C salvage therapy after failing conventional therapy consisting of a triazole, amphotericin B, or a combination of both. " 06/15/2005 - "We report the outcomes of 6 patients with coccidioidomycosis who were treated with posaconazole salvage therapy after treatment with conventional antifungal therapies failed to produce sustained clinical improvement. "
2.	Transplantation (Transplant Recipients) 08/01/2008 - "This review summarizes recent findings of studies and case reports about coccidioidomycosis in transplant recipients. " 06/01/2015 - "Eleven of 426 (2.6%) allo-HSCT recipients experienced active coccidioidomycosis after transplantation. " 03/01/2015 - "Universal fungal prophylaxis and risk of coccidioidomycosis in liver transplant recipients living in an endemic area." 06/01/2012 - "We report disseminated coccidioidomycosis in 3 transplant recipients from a donor in an endemic area found to have unrecognized meningeal coccidioidomycosis. " 09/01/2011 - "Subclinical dissemination of coccidioidomycosis in a liver transplant recipient."
3.	Transplants (Transplant) 04/01/2013 - "Multiple test modalities may be needed to diagnose coccidioidomycosis in solid organ transplant recipients, and repeat studies over time may increase sensitivity of the diagnostic assays." 02/01/2014 - "We report a case of primary pulmonary coccidioidomycosis in a 61-year-old man with a renal transplant 7 months earlier. " 02/01/2014 - "Pulmonary coccidioidomycosis after a renal transplant in a nonendemic region." 04/01/2013 - "We identified 27 solid organ transplant recipients with newly acquired, active coccidioidomycosis. " 04/01/2013 - "To characterize the utility of diagnostic tests for coccidioidomycosis in this population, we conducted a retrospective chart review of all solid organ transplant recipients with newly acquired coccidioidomycosis who were seen at our institution from 1999 to 2011. "
4.	Euthanasia (Mercy Killing) 03/01/1990 - "The present studies suggest that fluconazole may be effective treatment in primates with coccidioidomycosis and that euthanasia is no longer necessary. "
5.	Organ Transplantation 07/15/2011 - "Between June 1999 and June 2009, 100 patients with previous coccidioidomycosis underwent solid organ transplantation at our institution. " 05/15/2007 - "A retrospective review of the medical records of 47 patients with prior coccidioidomycosis who underwent solid organ transplantation (18 liver, 24 kidney, 3 pancreas, and 2 combined organ) at our tertiary care academic medical center. " 05/15/2007 - "The prevention of recrudescent coccidioidomycosis after solid organ transplantation." 12/01/2001 - "Coccidioidomycosis complicating solid organ transplantation." 11/01/2001 - "Coccidioidomycosis in solid organ transplantation."