Department of Biology, California State University Bakersfield (CSUB), Bakersfield, CA 93311-1022, USA.
Desert Research Institute (DRI), Las Vegas, NV 89119, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jul 22;17(15):5285. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17155285.
Coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley fever, has been reported among military personnel in -endemic areas of the southwestern United States since World War II. In this study, the prevalence of was confirmed in different soil and dust samples collected near three military bases in California using DNA extraction and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) methods. Analyses of physical and chemical parameters revealed no significant differences between -positive and -negative sites. Soil samples collected in the Mojave Desert (near Twentynine Palms MCAGCC) showed the highest percentage of -positive soil and dust samples. Samples from the San Joaquin Valley (near NAS Lemoore) showed the lowest percentage of positive samples and were restricted to remnants of semi-natural areas between agricultural fields. Our results suggest that soil disturbance around all three military bases investigated poses a potential exposure risk for military personnel and the public. We conclude that once lands have been severely disturbed from their original state, they become less suitable for growth. We propose a conceptual framework for understanding exposure where disturbance of soils that exhibit natural or remnants of native vegetation (Creosote and Salt Bush) generate a high risk of exposure to the pathogen, likely during dry periods. In contrast, -positive sites, when undisturbed, will not pose a high risk of exposure.
球孢子菌病，也称为谷热，自二战以来在美国西南部的流行地区就有报道在军事人员中出现。在这项研究中，使用 DNA 提取和聚合酶链反应（PCR）方法，在加利福尼亚的三个军事基地附近采集的不同土壤和灰尘样本中证实了 的存在。对物理和化学参数的分析表明，阳性和阴性地点之间没有显着差异。在莫哈韦沙漠（靠近二十九棕榈 MCAGCC）采集的土壤样本显示出最高比例的阳性土壤和灰尘样本。来自圣华金河谷（靠近 NAS Lemoore）的样本阳性率最低，仅限于农田之间的半自然区域的残余物。我们的研究结果表明，在所调查的所有三个军事基地周围的土壤扰动都可能对军事人员和公众造成 暴露的风险。我们得出的结论是，一旦土地从原始状态受到严重干扰，它们就变得不太适合 生长。我们提出了一个理解暴露的概念框架，即在展示自然或原生植被（克里索罗特和盐布什）的土壤受到干扰时，很可能在干旱期间会产生暴露于病原体的高风险。相比之下，未受干扰的阳性部位不会造成高暴露风险。
