A lot of people who are infected by the fungus, may not even know it. That's what happened to a patient in the Valley who says she's lucky doctors caught the infection early."I just knew I was at the point where I didn't feel like I could raise my arms or my legs. They were so heavy," said 71-year-old Marlene Starley.Starley was diagnosed with Valley fever in January. The past four months have been filled with sleep, medication and doctor's appointments.
"I think that's great. That's great. That's where I started going to. I've been to Chandler many times, but at Banner, they seem to really be on top of everything. Really fantastic," she said.Dr. Robert Johns of Banner Urgent Care says Valley fever symptoms range from mild to severe.Mild symptoms include fever, fatigue, cough and chest pain. In severe cases, symptoms can progress to acute respiratory failure, lung cavities and other lung infections.