Deadly fungal storms are sweeping US and spreading disease few doctors recognize
Dust storms are becoming increasingly common in the US, raising concerns about their health impacts. Research indicates that these storms can exacerbate respiratory issues and contribute to the spread of diseases like Valley Fever. The conditions driving these storms are linked to climate change and have been particularly severe in drought-stricken states like Texas and New Mexico.
- ▪The Black Sunday storm in 1935 was one of the most catastrophic dust storms in US history, affecting six states.
- ▪Hospitalizations can increase fivefold after dust storms, particularly among vulnerable populations such as young children and the elderly.
- ▪Valley Fever, a fungal infection linked to dust storms, has seen a tenfold increase in diagnoses from 1998 to 2011.
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They called it Black Sunday. The most catastrophic dust storm in US history brought mayhem to six states, from Nebraska in the north to Texas in the south. Ferocious winds picked up an estimated third of a million tonnes of dusty topsoil and transformed it into a black blizzard. Residents of Dodge City in Kansas reported the arrival in mid-afternoon of a colossal inky cloud, some 200m high, that turned day to pitch-black night within seconds. As the sun was blotted out, the temperature plunged from 29°C into the low teens, and visibility reduced rapidly to zero. The immense deathstorm plagued an area of around a million square kilometres and took hours to blow itself out.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at BBC Science Focus Magazine.
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