Written By: Satata Karmakar | Published : May 11, 2026 12:31 PM IST
Chiranjeevi Kolla, a 37-year-old Indian tech professional based in California, died on May 5 after battling Valley fever for nearly a month
In one of the rarest cases of viral deaths, a 37-year-old man, an Indian tech professional in California, lost his life to Valley Fever, a rare fungal infection that targets the core cells of the lungs and damages them entirely within a fast span. Once infected with this rare virus, a patient usually suffers from chronic respiratory failure.
The deceased, named Chiranjeevi Kolla breathed his last on May 5 in Walnut Creek, California, after spending nearly a month in intensive care (ICU). According to the reports, he was battling with severe respiratory issues that later gripped his entire lungs and damaged them completely.
Speaking to the media, the family revealed that in April, Chiranjeevi first developed symptoms similar to a regular flu - such as fever accompanied by a persistent cough. As his condition worsened, he went to the emergency room, where doctors initially suspected severe pneumonia. Tests later confirmed that he had contracted Valley Fever.
The doctors also confirmed that the infection had got out of control and had infected and damaged his lungs completely.
Valley Fever Symptoms.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), valley fever (coccidioidomycosis) is a lung infection caused primarily by Coccidioides, a fungus that lives in the soil. Explaining the transmission process, the CDC noted that people can get valley fever by breathing in the spores from Coccidioides. Some people breathe in the spores and never get sick. Valley fever causes typical lung infection symptoms like cough and fever.
Some of the most common signs and symptoms of valley fever infection include:
With this sudden death of a young man, many will have one simple query - Do we have any approved vaccine for valley fever infection? The answer is - NO. As of today, there are no approved vaccine for Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis) in humans. However, as per reports, researchers are actively developing vaccines and a veterinary vaccine for dogs is nearing approval; prevention currently relies on avoiding inhaled dust in endemic areas like the Southwestern U.S.
According to the CDC, while the infection can jump from one individual to another in a very short span, it is highly lethal for a few people - Those who are suffering from poor lung functions, underlying lung conditions, high blood pressure and asthma like problems. Also those who have a history of pneumonia are at high risk. However, the risk factors also include the area where they are living.
Pets can also become infected. Valley fever does not spread from person to person or between people and animals.
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