Dust storms pose risks with the monsoon to ramp up in Phoenix area

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Dust is expected to linger Saturday morning with the possibility of a dust storm that night, raising health concerns for people with respiratory conditions, children and the elderly.

Arizona’s Family Chief Meteorologist Royal Norman said the lack of rainfall this season could make this year’s dust storms worse than usual.

“We think that this year, because it’s been a long time since we’ve had any rain, and our monsoon has not really gotten here, our monsoon rains, the dust storms might be with us for a couple of weeks, even after we get a day or two of rain,” Norman said.

Dust storms carry more than dirt, according to Dr. Michell Lozano Chinga, a pediatric allergist and immunologist at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

“When dust passes through, there is not only dust, there are other particles,” Lozano Chinga said.

Those particles include pollutants, pollen and fungal spores — some of which can cause Valley Fever.

“There are particles that kind of stay only in your nose. There are particles that can go down to your lungs,” Lozano Chinga said.

A recent CDC report shows Valley Fever cases approximately doubled from 2005 to 2022. Maricopa County recorded the most cases in Arizona, followed by Pima and Pinal counties. Preliminary data counts more than 8,500 cases in Maricopa County last year and nearly 3,300 so far this year.

Health experts say Valley Fever symptoms vary widely — from no symptoms at all to coughing, wheezing or difficulty breathing. In severe cases, the infection can spread beyond the lungs.

“There are some patients which may have some higher risk factors to get more severe and disseminated infections that can affect not only the lungs, but sometimes muscles, the brain and other parts of your body,” Lozano Chinga said.

Maricopa County health officials say most Valley Fever symptoms will resolve on their own within a few months without treatment. In severe or life-threatening cases, doctors will likely prescribe antifungal medication.

Dr. Lozano Chinga said when a dust storm approaches, people should get inside as soon as possible, close and secure windows, and turn on air purifiers if available.

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