Coccidioidomycosis

Coccidioidomycosis is a very dangerous opportunistic infection -- often fatal when untreated.

This is part of a series on Opportunistic Infections ("OIs"). Please note that --

This Page Is Just A Starting Point: ÆGIS is a great place for you to find overview information about HIV and opportunistic infections, but it is not a substitute for getting medical advice from a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Finding The Latest Information: Advances in treating opportunistic infections can happen at any time, so the material on this page may be outdated. Some links in the see also section at the bottom of this page are actually special database links. They may contain information published after this page was written.

Classification

fungus infection

Description

Coccidioides immitis is a fungus found mainly in soil in the southwestern parts of the US, in Mexico, in Central America, and in parts of South America.
During one part of the fungus' life cycle, it is airborn. That's when it is most dangerous. Those with Coccidioidomycosis have inhaled this infective fungus.
The lungs are the most commonly affected. In severe cases, Coccidioidomycosis can also involve the kidneys, lymph system, brain, and spleen.
Symptoms include cough, weight loss, and fatigue. Meningitis is a common complication when Coccidioidomycosis is left untreated.
The US Centers For Disease Control considers this an AIDS-defining condition --
- Coccidioidomycosis, disseminated or extrapulmonary

Danger Zone

CD4+ count less than 100 cells/mm.

NOTE:

If you are undergoing treatment that has increased your CD4+ levels, see the important note on Naive T-Cells. There is some evidence that you should use the lowest CD4+ level you ever had when considering your risk for some opportunistic infections.

Prevention

There have been no studies on preventing Coccidioidomycosis.

Treatment