Testing for Coccidioidomycosis among Community-Acquired Pneumonia Patients, Southern California, USA1

Emerg Infect Dis. 2018 Apr;24(4):779-781. doi: 10.3201/eid2404.161568.

Abstract

We conducted a cohort study to identify characteristics associated with testing for, and testing positive for, coccidioidomycosis among patients with community-acquired pneumonia in southern California, USA. Limited and delayed testing probably leads to underdiagnosis among non-Hispanic black, Filipino, or Hispanic patients and among high-risk groups, including persons in whom antimicrobial drug therapy has failed.

Keywords: California; United States; bacteria; coccidioidomycosis; community-acquired pneumonia; fungi; pneumonia; respiratory infections.

MeSH terms

  • California / epidemiology
  • Coccidioides* / immunology
  • Coccidioidomycosis / diagnosis
  • Coccidioidomycosis / epidemiology*
  • Coccidioidomycosis / microbiology*
  • Community-Acquired Infections / diagnosis
  • Community-Acquired Infections / epidemiology*
  • Community-Acquired Infections / microbiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoassay
  • Male
  • Odds Ratio