McCarthy reintroduces bill to spur valley fever research

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, as well as a group of other House representatives from California and Arizona, reintroduced a valley fever bill aimed at incentivizing research for valley fever and other fungal diseases this week.

Valley fever task force co-chairs McCarthy and Rep. David Schweikert,

R-Arizona, reintroduced the Finding Orphan-disease Remedies with Antifungal Research and Development (FORWARD) bill along with Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., and Rep. Tom O’Halleran D-Arizona.

The bill was first introduced in 2018, and it was hailed then by valley fever advocates and researchers as a way to combat the disease. The FORWARD act aims to fund short- to long-term solutions with the goal of developing new treatments, therapies and a vaccine.

McCarthy noted that this week’s wind in Kern County, which kicks up the fungal spores in the dust that cause valley fever, was an important reminder of what the region faces. “For years, our community has worked to tackle valley fever head-on,” he said in a statement. “And though we have made progress, we have never forgotten the critical need to find effective treatments, a cure, and ultimately a vaccine.”

He added that it is especially important to fund valley fever efforts in the wake of COVID-19.

“As we continue to recover from a global pandemic resulting from viral respiratory illness COVID-19, we must refocus our efforts to better address fungal lung diseases, such as valley fever, which can complicate COVID-19 response efforts,” he said.