Dr. John Galgiani, professor of medicine and director of the University of Arizona Valley Fever Center for Excellence accepted an Arizona Legislative Proclamation on behalf of the team at the Valley Fever Center for Excellence.
Valley Fever is a dangerous and potentially fatal disease. More than half of all U.S. cases are reported in the state of Arizona.
Dr. Galgiani has spent over four decades researching Valley Fever, a respiratory disease caused by inhaling airborne spores of fungus. His contributions to the field include helping lead the establishment of the Valley Fever Center for Excellence in 1996; founding the Valley Fever Collaborative, an initiative between Arizona’s three state universities dedicated to Valley fever research; and working with industry to develop a vaccine for Valley fever, which has proven effective in dogs and is undergoing continued research for human use. In 2023, he was honored with the AZBio Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Senate Majority Leader John Kavanagh shared the proclamation on the Senate floor prior to presenting it to Dr. Galgiani.
Arizona Senate Resolution
“Valley Fever Awareness Benefits Public Health & the Arizona Economy”
- Whereas, Valley fever (medically named coccidioidomycosis) is a nationally reportable fungal disease of the Western United States, and
- Whereas, reported illnesses of Valley fever are approximately 20,000 annually which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates is 7- to 10-fold below the actual number of sick patients, and
- Whereas, it is estimated that the economic impact of Valley fever to Arizona in 2019 was $789 million, and
- Whereas, changing weather patterns are predicted to expand the Valley fever region to the Canadian border by the end of this century, and
- Whereas, Arizona is responsible for two-thirds of all Valley fever infections reported in the United States, and
- Whereas most travelers who develop Valley fever acquire their infections from visiting Arizona, and
- Whereas, Valley fever also severely affects dogs and other animals, costing Arizona dog owners over $90 million in 2025 and many animals were euthanized because of the impact of those costs, and
- Whereas, 30% of Arizona citizens who become sick with Valley fever have never heard of the disease, and
- Whereas, due to the lack of awareness about Valley fever, the medical community often does not test patients for this sickness, which leads to delayed treatment, mistreatment, greater health care costs, and greater damage to patients, and
- Whereas, exaggerated fears regarding the risks of Valley fever can lead to misguided decisions about the safety of living in or relocating industry to the State of Arizona, and
- Whereas, Valley fever is a treatable disease where symptoms can be properly managed and long-term complications can be avoided, especially when early intervention occurs, and
- Whereas, increased awareness is an established recommendation within the public health and medical community.
Therefore, be it resolved
- That the Arizona Legislature acknowledges that Valley fever awareness efforts should be prioritized to improve public health outcomes; and
- In the absence of adequate messaging, lack of information or misinformation surrounding Valley fever can contribute to economic issues for our state; and
- That the Arizona Legislature recognizes the efforts of the University of Arizona’s Valley Fever Center for Excellence, which has provided leadership in awareness campaigns, research, and patient care for Valley fever; and
- That the work of the University of Arizona’s Valley Fever Center for Excellence along with the Arizona Department of Health Services and other organizations addressing the need for greater awareness for Valley fever be recognized as valuable contributors to improving Arizona’s public health.