California Prison Officials Say More Than 3,000 Inmates Tested Positive for Valley Fever

On Thursday, California prison officials said that a $5 million screening effort conducted this month showed that more than 3,000 inmates have been exposed to Valley Fever, making them eligible to be moved to one of two prisons where the fungus is common. Most individuals who have been exposed to the illness -- which is caused by a fungus that grows in the soil in the Central Valley and other dry locations -- become immune.

• "Skin Tests Identify Inmates for Valley Fever-Stricken Prisons" (John, "PolitiCal," Los Angeles Times, 1/29).