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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffValley fever isn't diagnosed on the basis of signs and symptoms, which are usually vague and nonspecific, or on a chest X-ray, which can't distinguish valley fever from other lung diseases. Instead, a definitive diagnosis depends on finding Coccidioides spherules (cysts) in tissue, blood or other body secretions. For that reason, you're likely to have one or more of the following tests:
- Sputum smear or culture. These tests check a sample of your sputum for the presence of the valley fever fungus.
- Blood tests. Through a blood test, your doctor can check for antibodies against the fungus that causes valley fever.
