The death of 37-year-old Indian tech professional Chiranjeevi Kolla after a month-long battle with Valley fever has drawn attention to this fungal infection that many people have never heard of. Based in California’s San Francisco Bay Area and working in the healthcare technology sector, Chiranjeevi initially developed symptoms that reportedly resembled a regular flu, including a persistent cough . According to a fundraiser shared by his family, his condition worsened rapidly, leading doctors to first suspect severe pneumonia before further tests confirmed Valley fever, an infection caused by Coccidioides fungi found in soil in parts of California and the southwestern United States. The fundraiser described the devastating progression of his illness, stating, “Most people who get it never know. In his case, it overwhelmed his lungs.” As his condition deteriorated, Chiranjeevi was intubated and placed on a ventilator, spending nearly 30 days in the ICU before dying on May 5.…