​Three hospitalised following “deadly” fungus outbreak at Lightning In A Bottle

Three people have been hospitalised following a “deadly” viral fungus outbreak at California’s Lightning In A Bottle festival, the LA Times reports.

The festival took place more than two months ago from May 22 - 27 next to Buena Vista Lake, and was attended by around 20,000 people.

Lightning In A Bottle has issued a warning to attendees that they may have been exposed to a dangerous fungus sometimes known as “valley fever”, which is expected to infect between 7,000 and 9,000 people in California this year.

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The festival said that it prioritises “the health and safety of all patrons”, confirming that it is working with public health departments to learn more about valley fever.

Cases of valley fever are mostly found in California and Arizona, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), with a high rate of cases discovered in Kern County where Lightning In A Bottle takes place.

The CDPH also explained that the fungus grows in the soil and dirt of certain areas, and could be potentially fatal after infection. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that on average, there are around 200 valley fever-associated deaths each year.

In a statement sent to Mixmag, Lightning In A Bottle said: "The California health department has recently made us aware that they are expecting 7000-9000 cases of Valley fever across the state this year, with 5400 already confirmed, signaling a large increase in 2024 cases due to wet weather."

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"This week they reported that 5 cases may have been linked to this year’s event as part of their California’s Valley fever Awareness Month campaign," they added.

"We prioritize the health and safety of all our patrons and are in communication with the California Department of Public Health and Kern County Public Health Department to learn more about Valley fever and any preventative measures we can take to reduce Valley fever risk for future festival events, and to make information available to this year’s attendees.”

Following this year’s event, three have been hospitalised. Symptoms to look out for include fever, a cough, headaches, a loss of appetite, rashes, and shortness of breath.

[Via LA Times]

Update August 5: We've updated this story at add a statement from Lightning In A Bottle

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter