Coccidioides

American  

[kok-sid-ee-oi-deez] / kɒkˌsɪd iˈɔɪ diz /

noun

Mycology.

1. a genus of fungi, occurring as both mold and yeast, with species especially present in the soil of the southwestern United States and parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America: Breathing in their microscopic spores can cause coccidioidomycosis.

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Etymology

Origin of Coccidioides

First recorded in 1900–05; coccidi(um) ( def. ) + New Latin -oīdēs, from Greek -oeidēs -oid ( def. )

Example Sentences

English said little attention has yet been paid to his group’s discovery on the site of the soil-dwelling fungus Coccidioides, which causes valley fever.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2024

Their research has revealed the fungus's resilience: Coccidioides needs moisture to grow, flourishing when the rains arrive, then stagnating when the ground dries up again.

From Scientific American • Sep. 23, 2023

Coccidioides, the soil fungus that causes valley fever, can definitely cause meningitis.

From Scientific American • May 22, 2023

Coccidioides, the fungus that causes cocci, thrives in rain-soaked soil.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2022

Other fungi, such as Coccidioides immitis, which causes pneumonia when its spores are inhaled, thrive in the dry and sandy soil of the southwestern United States.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015