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Cases of valley fever have been on the rise on the Central Coast the past couple of years.

Valley fever is caused by a fungus that grows in the ground.

When its spores get into the air, they can be inhaled and can attack the lungs.

People are more susceptible to valley fever in dry, windy conditions, like the weather we are experiencing now.

"Valley fever is a scary situation, very scary," Paso Robles Resident John Osman got valley fever three years ago. He still does not know how or where he contracted it..

"It attacked my right lung and my shoulders I have a friend who got it and it attacked his spine and he's paralyzed now from the waist down," said Osman.

Doctors said severe cases like meningitis are rare and that most people with valley fever never have symptoms. Others will fee like a cold or flu is coming on and sometimes people do get a rash.

People are most susceptible to it in the summer and the fall.

"When people breath in the dirt that's circulating in the air during the dry periods of summer and fall they develop the fungal infection in their lungs," said Michelle Shoresman, the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program Manager.

She added that there are ways to protect yourself:

-if you can, stay away from dust clouds
-if you have dirt around your home, plant ground cover
-or water dirt down during windy conditions
-and people in agricultural areas should take the most precautions.

"We've had a steady increase over the last two years, but we actually have fewer cases right now than we did last year. It's just generally a little higher than what you would consider normal," said Shoresman.

In most cases valley fever goes away without treatment. Otherwise, it can be treated with anti-fungal medication and in the most severe cases, surgery is needed.