It is recognized as a work-related disease in California, but not in Arizona or other states where it is also now widespread. “We know that outbreaks of Valley fever have occurred among construction workers, wildland firefighters, and other outdoor workers, but we need more consistent and complete data on Valley fever patients’ recent job history to determine when Valley fever is a work-related disease,” said lead author, Juliana Bartels, MPH, who until recently was a graduate student researcher at UC Berkeley School of Public Health and is now a fellow in the California epidemiologic investigation service. Currently, most Valley fever case reports to local and state health jurisdictions are sent via automated lab reports or manual case reports, which often lack information on patient occupation. “The paper’s authors—experts in occupational health—highlight how collecting data on occupation and industry can enhance case reporting of Valley fever,” said Professor Justin Remais, principal investigator of a major Valley fever research initiative at Berkeley. “More comprehensive data on occupation among Valley fever cases is an essential step to prevent the disease among highly exposed worker populations,” Remais added.