Arizona

New rapid test could revolutionize valley fever diagnosis in Arizona

Published

8 months ago

June 24, 2025

New rapid test could revolutionize valley fever diagnosis in Arizona

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Thousands of people are diagnosed with valley fever every year in Arizona, and sometimes you can be misdiagnosed because the symptoms are so similar to other illnesses like the flu.

Now, local doctors have developed a new rapid test for valley fever that can detect the infection in just 10 minutes. They say it will help you get the right treatment faster. The average time to diagnose a patient with valley fever is close to three weeks, but now, with this test, they can detect the infection in just 10 minutes.

Valley resident Chris Sams has had valley fever for eight years now.

“It has impacted all aspects of my life,” Sams said. “I started to get sick. I started going through cold sweats and rapid weight loss. I think the worst is the brain fog. I’ve now been married to my wife for almost three years, but now I don’t remember my wedding.”

Sams got valley fever after moving to Arizona. He had never heard of the sickness before coming here.

Valley fever is a lung infection caused by breathing in fungus found in dry soil, mainly across the Southwest. While some people have little to no symptoms, the infection can spread to the bones, brain or spine in more severe cases.

“At first I was admitted into the hospital, and then I was put on an isolation floor because they thought it was tuberculosis, cancer or valley fever,” he said. “That took a week for that to get tested before they actually realized that I had valley fever.”

Doctor Thomas Grys with the Mayo Clinic says that delay is far too common.

“The median time to diagnosis is 23 days, so half of the people take more than 23 days to find out they have valley fever,” he said.

He says that because symptoms are similar to the flu or pneumonia, valley fever can often be misdiagnosed, and current tests can be slow and unclear, which can delay the appropriate treatment.

“Some patients come in four to five times until they figure out what is happening,” he said.

Grys has been working with ASU researchers over the last five years to create this new rapid valley fever test. It looks similar to a COVID-19 test and can give patients an answer faster. The goal is to detect valley fever more accurately and earlier.

“To be able to know within a matter of minutes versus seven to 10 days or two to three weeks of not knowing what you have and what treatment it is. It’s an amazing step forward in medicine right now,” Sams said.

The test is expected to be available for doctors’ offices by the end of the year. While there is no vaccine for valley fever, Dr. Grys says an animal vaccine could be ready within the next 12-18 months because they can get the infection too.

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Arizona

Arizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for Feb. 27, 2026

Published

4 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Arizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for Feb. 27, 2026

The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers

11-18-39-43-67, Mega Ball: 23

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers

7-7-0

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers

16-19-20-26-37

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Triple Twist numbers

11-15-24-25-28-30

Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results

What time is the Powerball drawing?

Powerball drawings are at 7:59 p.m. Arizona time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

How much is a Powerball lottery ticket today?

In Arizona, Powerball tickets cost $2 per game, according to the Arizona Lottery.

How to play the Powerball

To play, select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.

You can choose your lucky numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.

To win, match one of the 9 Ways to Win:

5 white balls + 1 red Powerball = Grand prize.
5 white balls = $1 million.
4 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $50,000.
4 white balls = $100.
3 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $100.
3 white balls = $7.
2 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $7.
1 white ball + 1 red Powerball = $4.
1 red Powerball = $4.

There’s a chance to have your winnings increased two, three, four, five and 10 times through the Power Play for an additional $1 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot wins up to 10 times when the jackpot is $150 million or less.

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Arizona Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to P.O. Box 2913, Phoenix, AZ 85062.

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations:

Phoenix Arizona Lottery Office: 4740 E. University Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4400. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Phoenix Sky Harbor Lottery Office: Terminal 4 Baggage Claim, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4424. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.

Kingman Arizona Lottery Office: Inside Walmart, 3396 Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-753-8808. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://www.arizonalottery.com/.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Arizona

Warmer temps increase rattlesnake risks: Arizona Game and Fish

Published

16 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Warmer temps increase rattlesnake risks: Arizona Game and Fish

article

PHOENIX – Officials with the Arizona Game and Fish Department said unseasonably warm temperatures in the state will increase risks for rattlesnake encounters.

What they’re saying:

In a statement released on Feb. 27, the agency said while rattlesnakes are most active in desert areas from March through October, they “may appear earlier in the year as warming temperatures bring them out of winter hibernation.”

“During the spring, it’s common for rattlesnakes to be out during daylight hours,” read a portion of the statement. “As the days become increasingly hot, rattlesnakes tend to move around more at night.”

What you can do:

Officials said there are things people can do to keep themselves safe, including:

Step back and let a rattlesnake move away if you see one on a trail
Be mindful of where you place your feet and hands, because rattlesnakes can easily blend in with their surroundings
Carry a flashlight at night, especially on warmer nights when rattlesnakes can be most active
Clean up yard debris and reduce standing water near homes, in order to avoid attracting rattlesnakes
Stay on marked trails, as rattlesnakes encounters are more likely to occur when a person leaves a marked trail

Game and Fish officials said people should do the following if someone was bitten by a rattlesnake:

Remain calm
Reassure the victim
Call 911 and seek medical attention without delay
Remove all jewelry and watches from the affected area
Immobilize the extremity, and keep it below the heart
Decrease total body activity, as feasible

The Source: Information for this article was gathered from a statement released by the Arizona Department of Game and Fish.

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Arizona

Idaho 78-58 Northern Arizona (Feb 26, 2026) Game Recap – ESPN

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Idaho 78-58 Northern Arizona (Feb 26, 2026) Game Recap – ESPN

MOSCOW, Idaho — — Jackson Rasmussen had 19 points in Idaho’s 78-58 win over Northern Arizona on Thursday.

Rasmussen also had seven rebounds for the Vandals (16-13, 8-8 Big Sky Conference). Isaiah Brickner scored 15 points while shooting 6 of 11 from the field and 2 for 4 from the line. Jack Payne shot 4 for 5 from beyond the arc to finish with 12 points.

Diego Campisano finished with 11 points for the Lumberjacks (10-19, 4-12). Chris Komin added 11 points for Northern Arizona. Karl Markus Poom also had 10 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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