Snow Leopards and a Human Inspector All Struck by the Same Soil Fungus in California

A Big Cat Sanctuary Faces a Familiar, Frightening Foe

A nonprofit big cat sanctuary in Fresno County is on high alert after two of its snow leopards were diagnosed with Valley fever, a fungal disease that can affect both animals and people. The cases at Project Survival Cat Haven in Dunlap, California, have rattled staff — not just because of the animals involved, but because the disease has already claimed a human victim on the property as well.

Concern among staff is especially high because the sanctuary previously lost a lion to what appeared to be an unexplained illness — before a necropsy identified Valley fever as the cause of death. Sanctuary founder Dale Anderson said the lion just kept losing weight and not eating, and after months of trying to figure out what was wrong, they ultimately had to euthanize him — only to discover through a necropsy that Valley fever was the cause. That loss changed everything about how the sanctuary monitors its animals.

Jackson's Long Battle and a Second Diagnosis

One of the snow leopards, named Jackson, first came down with Valley fever four years ago and has required medication since that diagnosis. Staff initially noticed he was acting differently. "Jackson started acting weird, not wanting to eat and then losing weight," Anderson said. "So we took him in and got him checked, and sure enough, he had Valley fever."

The diagnosis was especially concerning because Jackson first contracted Valley fever four years ago and has remained on antifungal medication ever since. "We can't seem to get it beat," Anderson said. Despite that, the leopard is managing. Anderson noted that Jackson's behavior is perfectly normal — he eats regularly, acts like a normal cat, and "just carries that little bit of Valley fever with him." Now, a second snow leopard at the sanctuary has also been diagnosed, compounding the worry for staff. An inspector at the sanctuary had also contracted the disease.

What Is Valley Fever — and Why Is It Spreading?

Valley fever, also called coccidioidomycosis, is a lung infection caused by breathing in spores from the fungus Coccidioides. People — and animals — contract Valley fever by inhaling infectious spores that become aerosolized when the soil is disturbed by wind or human activity. The fungus usually infects the lungs and can cause respiratory symptoms including cough, fever, chest pain, and tiredness or exhaustion. Critically, the disease is not contagious — it can only be caught from the environment itself.

Valley fever can be serious and even fatal. In California, on average over 1,000 people have been hospitalized with Valley fever each year, of which about 1 in 10 have died. Valley fever has long been a problem in the American Southwest, but the number of cases has skyrocketed in recent years, tripling from 2014–2018 and again from 2018–2022. Climate patterns are partly to blame: when prolonged drought is followed by heavy winter rains, surges in Valley fever cases tend to follow in subsequent years, as the fungus thrives in the soil during wet winters and its spores spread during hot, dry months.

Lessons for Anyone Living in the West

Because Valley fever is still relatively rare, and because it causes symptoms similar to other respiratory infections including COVID-19, it is often misdiagnosed. That's part of what makes the situation at Cat Haven so instructive — the sanctuary's lion died before anyone connected the dots. That experience has made staff much more vigilant, with Valley fever now high on their radar as something to watch for.

Reducing exposure to blowing dust can help lower risk. Wetting soil before digging, limiting outdoor activity during dusty conditions, and speaking with a doctor or veterinarian about persistent cough, fatigue, or breathing problems may help people and pets get care sooner. The story of two snow leopards and a human inspector all felled by the same invisible fungus from the ground beneath their feet is a stark reminder: Valley fever doesn't discriminate by species, and as California's climate grows more extreme, the threat is only expected to grow.