The New York Times report, Infection Hits a California Prison Hard, highlights another medical concern for prisons and jails.  Valley Fever or Coccidioidomycosis has affected over 900 inmates in the last three years at the Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, California.   Eighty prison employees have also contracted the fever and one employee death in 2005 was attributed to the disease.  Coccidioidomycosis is caused by spores of a fungus found in the soil in disease-endemic areas. You can read more about the cause, symptoms, and treatment of coccidioidomycosis on MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Heath.