SENATOR HARPER SAYS: ASTHMA EQUAL TO VALLEY FEVER
I attended my first political debate at the Windmill Inn on July 8th in Surprise. I wished
to hear Sen. Harper, District 4, answer my question on Valley Fever. As a full-time
resident of District 4 and suffering from chronic Valley Fever for the past 32 months I
wanted to hear his opinion. I filled out the card and it was read; however, not the way I
wrote it. Sen. Harper’s your response infuriated me and should every Arizonian with
Valley Fever.
Senator, you stated that you moved to Arizona when you were seven years old along with
your brother, who had bad asthma. That now he has done just fine, and is in the
construction business as a plumber. I am thrilled that his asthma is under control and
doing so well. However, Senator Harper, I can’t believe that you had the audacity of
comparing Asthma to Valley Fever. I have both, but I can not understand how you as an
elected state senator for District 4, would have no clue as to what is happening in your
own District. There was nothing that I could not do being a severe asthmatic, but I have
lost all quality of life having chronic Valley Fever. Your district and Maricopa Co. has
the highest number of Valley Fever cases and infections in the WORLD!
Let me give you a mini course on Valley Fever, so you can recognize it from asthma.
Coccidioidomycosis (Cocci) also called Valley Fever is an insidious disease caused by
inhaling the Coccidioides fungal spore. Cocci have been around many thousands of years
before being discovered by Dr. Posada, 116 years ago in Argentina. There are two types
of Valley Fever, Coccidioides Immitis (found in California) and Coccidioides Posadasii
(found in AZ, NV, NM, TX and UT, Baja CA, Mexico, Central Am. and So. Am.). C.
Posadasii was only just discovered in 2002, prior to that it was only C. Immitis. Valley
Fever has no cure, hardest to detect, hardest to treat, and hardest to prevent. It is the most
regulated fungal spore ever and classified in the same arena as Anthrax. Both
Coccidioides Immitis/Posadasii are classified as a bio-safety, level III, hazards just below
the highest BSL/IV for Emboli. Our federal government has passed two federal laws
regarding Coccidioides Immitis and Posadasii spores which are: Select Agent in the
Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996; and, Public Health Security and
Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002.
It takes nothing more than breathing to contract Valley Fever. All humans and animals
need to breathe. It affects any human or animal; at any age even intrauterine; any color;
any race, healthy or sick. There are three known forms: acute/mild, chronic/severe and
disseminated/serious to fatal. Once you get VF, you have it for life. One only hopes that
it goes into remission; however, it can come out of remission anytime or multiple times in
one’s life. One could have had the mild form (60% of the people are never aware they
were infected), but it could return as disseminated and cause your death. This is a very
expensive illness with medications running $480 to $1,800 a month without insurance.
You stated that Arizona ranked 49th in the United States for residents without health
insurance. This illness can run into the millions of dollars to keep your loved one alive.
In 2006, 8,916 cases were reported nationally to the CDC&P most from AZ and CA.
Approximately 2% or less of VF infections is believed to be diagnosed incorrectly or not
at all. This number equates to an estimate of 445,000 people getting this incurable
disease. In 2007, VF reported cases were slightly lower than 2006, with a total
estimation to be 400,000 infected. Senator Harper, did you know that your District 4 is at
ground zero for Valley Fever and many other serious lung and heart illnesses in the
USA? As of June 2008 the ADHS is reporting 2,201 cases which are approximately
110,050.
Senator Harper, Valley Fever is considered an orphan disease because less than 250,000
humans are infected yearly with states reporting to the CDC& P well under 10,000
annually being short of at least 240,000 cases for our American or foreign pharmaceutical
and biological research companies to be interested in spending $100’s of millions for
such a small group. As you said, yes they will make all the money; they will own the
copyright, the trademark, and the patent to the vaccine and drug. You stated that the
State of Arizona should not assist with research because the pharmaceutical companies
will get rich. I guess, AZ thinks the same as you, since to date; AZ has never given one
penny towards any research even to their own University of Arizona, Tucson. The U of
A has had a VF research department since 1950. Did you know that two-thirds of all VF
cases/infections come from AZ? The Southwest is infecting many in the USA, but it
goes much further, we are infecting the world too and they don’t have to come to the
Southwest. We are sending fomites around the world.
With Arizona ranked 49th in the United States for residents not having any health
insurance the State of Arizona should take care of all medical bills of residents and
tourists that contract Valley Fever, if they don’t have medical insurance or poor medical
insurance. The State has and continues to keep VF a “Local Secret” from visitors and
most residents who have no awareness of the true devastation of this disease. Overall,
annual costs for VF are running about 120 million dollars nationwide. Also, a victim of
Valley Fever has only 180 days from medical diagnosis to sue the State of Arizona
and has a very strong case of WINNING!
But please, NEVER compare Asthma to Valley Fever, which is the most virulent fungal
parasite known to mankind.
Pat Curley White, Founder & Lecturer
Arizona Victims of Valley Fever (AVVF)
Sun City West, AZ 85375
Pat-valleyfever@live.com
623-584-8331