A Valley Fever test in Tucson is a blood test that screens for Coccidioidomycosis, a fungal infection caught by breathing in spores from disturbed desert soil. It detects the antibodies the immune system produces in response to the fungus.
Could It Be Valley Fever?
Is That Lingering Cough Actually Valley Fever?
A dry cough that's dragged on for weeks. Tiredness that sleep doesn't fix. A "cold" or "flu" that started a while ago and just won't clear. In Southern Arizona, those are the classic signs people miss, because Valley Fever looks almost exactly like a bad respiratory bug, and a round of antibiotics does nothing against it (antibiotics treat bacteria; Valley Fever is a fungus).
Here's the part most people don't know: researchers at the University of Arizona Valley Fever Center for Excellence found that about one-third of all pneumonia cases in Tucson are actually Valley Fever. If your illness hasn't improved in two weeks, especially after antibiotics.
A simple blood test can tell you whether cocci is the reason.
Who Should Get a Valley Fever Test in Tucson?
Walk in for a Cocci antibody test if you live or work anywhere in Pima County, AND any of the following apply:
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Flu-like or respiratory symptoms have lasted longer than two weeks
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A diagnosis of pneumonia, bronchitis, or upper respiratory infection isn't responding to antibiotic therapy
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You spend regular time outdoors—hiking.
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You've had heavy dust exposure during a monsoon storm or haboob
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You recently moved to Tucson or Southern Arizona and have developed a respiratory illness that won't shake
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You work in any industry that disturbs the Southern Arizona soil.
What Is Valley Fever?
Valley Fever, clinically Coccidioidomycosis, or "cocci," is a fungal infection caused by Coccidioides, a microscopic fungus that lives in the desert soil of the Southwest, including Arizona. When that soil gets disturbed by wind, construction, digging, or off-roading, the spores go airborne, and people breathe them in. That's the only way you catch it.
It doesn't spread from person to person, and you can't get it from a pet.
Pima County sits inside the "Valley Fever corridor," which, along with Maricopa and Pinal counties, accounts for the majority of U.S. cases. Many people who breathe in the spores never get sick or only feel mildly off for a week or two.
But when symptoms linger, testing is the only way to know whether cocci is behind them.
Understanding Your Valley Fever Results
A positive result means your body has made antibodies against the Valley Fever fungus—you're either fighting the infection now or recently did. It doesn't tell you how serious the case is, so the next step is to take your results to a healthcare provider who can decide on treatment. We'll point you in the right direction.
A negative result usually means no Valley Fever, but timing matters. Antibodies can take two to six weeks to build to detectable levels. If you've been sick for less than about three weeks and test negative, it's worth retesting in two to three weeks, because a meaningful share of people test negative early before later testing positive.
What Tucson Wants to Know About
Valley Fever Testing?
What does the Valley Fever blood test actually look for? The Coccidioidomycosis antibody blood test measures two specific immune proteins — IgM and IgG — that your body produces when fighting the Coccidioides fungus. IgM antibodies appear early in infection, usually within 1 to 3 weeks of symptom onset, and signal an active or recent immune response. IgG antibodies develop later, persist longer, and can stay detectable in the bloodstream for up to a year after the body has cleared the fungus. Reading the two markers together gives your provider the clearest picture of whether the infection is recent, ongoing, or already resolved.
Can I get Valley Fever more than once? In most cases, no. People who recover from Valley Fever typically develop lifelong immunity to the Coccidioides fungus. Reinfection is uncommon. However, patients with weakened immune systems (organ transplant recipients, those on long-term immunosuppressive therapy, advanced HIV, or active chemotherapy) can experience reactivation of the original infection—which is why Cocci screening sometimes shows up in pre-transplant and oncology workups across Tucson.
Is Valley Fever contagious—and can dogs get it too? No, Valley Fever is not contagious between people. The infection is acquired by inhaling fungal spores from disturbed desert soil — there is no person-to-person, droplet, or contact transmission. Dogs and other animals can absolutely contract Valley Fever from environmental exposure (and Tucson veterinarians see Cocci in dogs regularly). Quick Test Health Services of Tucson does not perform veterinary testing—please contact your local veterinarian if your dog is symptomatic.
Do I need a doctor's order or referral to get a Valley Fever blood test in Tucson? No. Quick Test Health Services of Tucson is a direct-access lab — meaning you do not need a prescription, referral, or pre-existing doctor's order to be tested. We provide the lab order on-site, perform the blood draw, and your results are sent to you via our secure patient portal in 5 to 7 business days..