KRON News The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is urging people who attended the Lighting in a Bottle festival to see a healthcare provider if they are experiencing respiratory symptoms after five attendees were diagnosed with Valley fever, officials said.
State officials say over 20,000 people attended the festival in Buena Vista Lake, and five have been identified with Valley fever. Three of the five patients were hospitalized, according to a statement from California health officials.
Officials say additional cases linked to the festival are possible. “Valley fever is on the rise in California, with particularly high numbers of cases reported in 2023 and 2024 and is most common in the San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast areas of California,” CDPH officials said.