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In an effort to combat the ongoing outbreak of valley fever in Arizona — now affecting hundreds of Tucsonans — Gov. Janet Napolitano has released $50,000 in health crisis funds.

The money is earmarked to train and educate doctors to accurately diagnose and treat the fungal lung disease, which can cause prolonged illness that sometimes proves fatal.

"This is a sign of recognition valley fever is a disease that matters in Arizona," said Dr. Eskild Petersen, an infectious-disease specialist at University Medical Center. "This puts valley fever on the map, with official recognition of its impact here. That's a very positive thing."

Another $75,000 has been designated to fight the rising number of cases of tick-borne Rocky Mountain spotted fever, now plaguing Indian reservations in Northern Arizona.

Physician training is critically needed, concludes a recent University of Arizona study that found only a fraction of valley fever-caused pneumonias actually are reported in Arizona. Many more go undiagnosed and untreated because doctors often fail to test for the disease, which is caused by a fungus that lives in the soil and attacks the lungs when inhaled.

This year, Arizona health officials are predicting an all-time high in reported valley fever cases — possibly reaching 4,000 — which occur mainly in Pima, Maricopa and Pinal counties. Case counts have been rising steadily throughout the 1990s, but spiked dramatically in recent months, nearly tripling the average count.

So far this year, 2,560 valley fever cases have been tallied statewide, nearly 350 in the greater Tucson area. That's compared to an average 970 statewide for the five-month period. However, the true number of statewide cases may be as much as eight times higher — totaling 30,000 this year — according to the UA study.

Known scientifically as coccidioidomycosis, valley fever often causes only mild flulike symptoms, but also can trigger prolonged pneumonia with severe fatigue. If the disease spreads beyond the lungs to other organs, it can cause disability and death.

Although cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever remain low, the disease recently has emerged as a major concern in certain mountainous areas of Northeastern Arizona, especially on the Apache reservations. Before 2004, only eight cases had ever been recorded in the state. But in 2004 alone, 15 cases were reported, with another 13 last year.