As the climate warms, the southwestern U.S. is increasingly experiencing weather whiplash[1] as the region swings from drought to flooding and back again. As a result, the public is hearing more about little-known infectious diseases, such as valley fever[2].

In May 2024, about 20,000 people attended a music festival in Buena Vista Lake, California. In the months that followed, at least 19 developed valley fever[3], and eight...

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Rabies is a deadly disease[1]. Without vaccination, a rabies infection is nearly 100% fatal[2] once someone develops symptoms. Texas has experienced two rabies epidemics in animals[3] since 1988: one involving coyotes and dogs in south Texas, and the other involving gray foxes in west central Texas. Affecting 74 counties, these outbreaks led to thousands of people who could have been exposed, two human deaths and countless...

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