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

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

• coccidioidomycosis
• community-acquired pneumonia
• pneumonia
• California
• fungi
• bacteria