Youth Against Valley Fever

Simply knowing saves lives

Tucson-based Awareness Organization

What is Valley Fever?

Valley Fever, also known as coccidioidomycosis, is an infection caused by a fungus that lives in the soil of certain areas, particularly in the southwestern United States. When the soil is disturbed by wind, construction, or farming, the fungal spores become airborne and can be inhaled into the lungs.

While many people who breathe in the spores never have symptoms, others may develop flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, and fatigue. In rare cases, the infection can become severe or spread to other parts of the body.

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Our Mission

Youth Against Valley Fever seeks to increase awareness of Valley fever (Coccidioidomycosis) — a fungal respiratory disease prevalent in Arizona. By increasing understanding, we hope to help people recognize symptoms early, and reduce unwarranted fear surrounding the disease.

✓ Deliver accurate information

✓ Inform travelers

✓ Empower our community

Program Snapshot

Collaborations

We work directly with tourism agencies, local counties, and organizations to help implement easily accesible Valley fever information.

Physical resources

We help develop and distribute physical Valley fever information materials.

Constant projects

Our team is constantly trying to find new ways to improve our awareness strategies.

The Team

William Ruiz

Cofounder / Marketing lead / Senior at University High School

Ryotaro Ishii

Cofounder / Public Health lead / Senior at University High School

Jeffrey Cai

Cofounder / Research lead / Senior at University High School

How it started

Youth Against Valley Fever began with the tragic loss of William’s uncle, Clim. Shortly after Clim came to Tucson to visit his family, he developed a persistent cough and severe fatigue that were initially attributed to other conditions. By the time doctors diagnosed him with Valley fever, it was too late. So we asked why his illness had gone undetected and found out how little awareness existed around a disease that affects so many people in our community. We decided that, even as high school students, we could help change that.

Our Work So Far

Bookmark Distribution

Through funding from the Valley Fever Americas Foundation, we designed, printed, and distributed 3,000 bookmarks containing crucial Valley fever information to 27+ libraries across Tucson and even Biosphere 2!

Valley Fever Annual Members Meeting Speaker

Through our long-lasting collaboration with Dr. John N. Galgiani and the Valley Fever Center for Excellence at the University of Arizona, we had the opportunity to present to a large audience of experts, healthcare workers, and researchers!

Pima County Health Advisory Project

We collaborated with Pima County Public Health Department to help launch their first-ever Valley fever advisory page, providing important information to tourists planning on visiting Tucson!