Valley fever can infect both humans and dogs. In the second and final installment of our series examining valley fever, you’ll hear the story of Cooper, a boxer mix from California’s Central Valley. He nearly lost his life to the fungal infection. In this episode of Unfold, we’ll talk to UC Davis scientists working across medicine and veterinary care to study valley fever. You’ll hear not only about one dog’s fight for survival but how dogs may hold the key to predicting valley fever’s spread in humans.

In this episode:

Dr. Jane Sykes, small animal veterinarian at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine with a special interest in infectious diseases

Dr. Glynn Woods, Veterinarian, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

Omar and Rosemary Rios, owners of Cooper, a dog with valley fever

Read an in-depth In Focus feature on valley fever in both humans and dogs at https://www.ucdavis.edu/health/news/valley-fever-spreading-across-arid-west

A single breath and a single spore. That’s all it takes for the fungal infection called valley fever to take hold. For most people, it’s a blip — a treatable illness. But for some, like Rex Dangerfield and Kyleigh Cooyar, it can cause debilitating symptoms. Climate change is creating ideal conditions for the fungus to spread beyond the West. It’s popping up in places where people have never heard of it. In this Unfold episode, we hear how valley fever altered the lives of Rex and Kyleigh, and we hear from UC Davis Health scientists searching for new ways to understand, treat and one day prevent the infection.

In this episode:

• George Thompson, professor of medicine and co-director, UC Davis Center for Valley Fever at UC Davis Health
• Kyleigh Cooyar, valley fever patient
• Rex Dangerfield, valley fever patient

Read an in-depth In Focus story on valley fever in both humans and dogs.

This time of year, you’ll hear any number of oinks, neighs and bleats from livestock on show at county fairs. But in California, cock-a-doodle-doos are missing from that chorus. Bird flu has shut down poultry exhibitions. That’s upended life for 4-H members who normally raise chickens and competitively show them at fairs. In this episode of Unfold, guest host Caroline Champlin with University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources visits the Orange County Fair to see how young 4-H-ers are adapting. And we’ll hear from a UC Davis/UC ANR expert on how the virus is adapting to new hosts, including dairy cattle. Is bird flu here to stay?

In this episode:

Maurice Pitesky, associate professor, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperative Extension specialist

You can read a full article on how bird flu is upending life for 4-H-er's at UC ANR's Green Blog.