According to CDC (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention), “Valley Fever is not contagious. Valley Fever is caused by fungus that lives in the environment. Symptoms of Valley Fever are usually similar to the flu.” In the novel Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan, valley fever is a crucial event. Valley fever affected people in the 1930s, was used throughout the novel, and was depicted correctly by the author. In the next paragraphs I will be describing how valley fever affected many people and how people struggled during the 1930s. Valley Fever affected many people in the 1930s. Valley fever was caused by dust bowls, which are large amounts of dust that covered a vast area. Many people would contract this disease and end up in the hospital