Indian Techie Chiranjeevi Kolla Dies at 37 After Month-Long Battle With Valley Fever in California ICU as Family Launches Fundraiser
The Indian community in the United States is mourning the death of Chiranjeevi Kolla, a 37-year-old software engineer from Andhra Pradesh who passed away in a California hospital after a month-long battle with Valley fever, a rare and often misdiagnosed fungal lung infection. Kolla’s death, confirmed by his family through an online fundraising campaign, has brought renewed attention to the dangers of coccidioidomycosis — commonly known as Valley fever — and the particular vulnerability of immigrants who may not be familiar with the disease.
Kolla is survived by his wife, Pavani Marella, and a five-year-old son, Vihan. His family has launched a fundraiser to cover the staggering medical bills from a month of intensive care treatment, as well as the costs of final rites they hope to honour in both California and India.
A Flu That Turned Fatal
According to his cousin Rama Koteswara Rao, who is managing the family’s fundraiser, Chiranjeevi’s illness began in early April 2026 with what felt like an ordinary flu. He experienced fever, fatigue, and a persistent cough — symptoms so common that neither Chiranjeevi nor his initial treating physicians suspected anything unusual.
However, the symptoms continued to worsen rather than resolve. As the cough deepened and breathing became increasingly difficult, Chiranjeevi went to the emergency room, where doctors initially suspected severe pneumonia. It was only after extensive testing, including cultures and imaging, that Valley fever was confirmed.
By that point, the infection had overwhelmed his lungs. Chiranjeevi was admitted to the intensive care unit, where he spent his final 30 days connected to ventilators and monitoring equipment. Despite the best efforts of his medical team, the fungal infection proved too aggressive.
“The doctors had done all that medicine could do,” the fundraiser page reads. “After thirty long days of machines and monitors and prayers, his exhausted body could fight no longer.”
What Is Valley Fever?
Valley fever is a lung infection caused by breathing in spores from the fungus Coccidioides, which lives in the soil of certain arid and semi-arid regions. In the United States, the fungus is endemic to the southwestern states, particularly California’s San Joaquin Valley (from which the disease derives its common name), Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and parts of south-central Washington state.
When soil containing Coccidioides is disturbed — by wind, construction, farming, or even driving on unpaved roads — microscopic spores become airborne and can be inhaled by anyone in the vicinity. The CDC estimates that approximately 20,000 cases of Valley fever are reported annually in the United States, though the actual number is believed to be significantly higher because the disease is frequently misdiagnosed as bacterial pneumonia, the flu, or COVID-19.
For most people who contract Valley fever, the infection is either asymptomatic or causes mild flu-like symptoms that resolve on their own within weeks. However, in approximately 5 to 10 per cent of cases, the infection progresses to chronic pulmonary disease. In a smaller fraction — roughly 1 per cent — the fungus disseminates beyond the lungs to the bones, skin, brain, or other organs, which can be life-threatening.
Risk factors for severe Valley fever include weakened immune systems, diabetes, pregnancy, and certain racial/ethnic backgrounds. Research has shown that people of Filipino, African, and South Asian descent face a disproportionately higher risk of severe disseminated disease, though the biological mechanisms behind this increased susceptibility are not fully understood.
The Indian Immigrant Vulnerability
Chiranjeevi Kolla’s case highlights a concern that public health experts have been raising for years: immigrants from regions where Valley fever does not exist, including India, often have no awareness of the disease, no prior exposure that might confer partial immunity, and may not recognise early symptoms as anything other than a common cold or flu.
California’s Silicon Valley and San Francisco Bay Area are home to an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 Indian-origin technology workers, many of whom live and work in areas where Coccidioides is present in the soil. The San Joaquin Valley, just a few hours’ drive from Silicon Valley, has some of the highest Valley fever incidence rates in the country.
“Many Indian immigrants I treat have never heard of Valley fever before their diagnosis,” said Dr. Royce Johnson, medical director of the Valley Fever Institute at Kern Medical in Bakersfield. “There is a significant awareness gap. By the time the correct diagnosis is made, the disease may have advanced to a stage where treatment is much more difficult.”
The issue is compounded by the challenging immigration landscape for Indian tech workers in the US, where visa uncertainties and the high cost of healthcare create additional barriers. Many Indian workers on H-1B visas face gaps in health insurance during job transitions, and the costs of a month-long ICU stay — which can easily exceed $500,000 to $1 million in the US healthcare system — can be financially devastating.
A Community Rallies
The fundraising campaign launched by Chiranjeevi’s family has drawn an outpouring of support from the Indian diaspora community. The GoFundMe page describes the challenges facing Pavani, who must now navigate life as a single parent while dealing with a mortgage, hospital bills, childcare for five-year-old Vihan, and the logistics of honouring Chiranjeevi’s memory in both countries.
“Chiranjeevi was the heart of his household and its primary provider,” the fundraiser states. “His passing leaves Pavani not only grieving the love of her life but suddenly facing the full weight of a family on her own.”
Colleagues and friends have described Chiranjeevi as a dedicated engineer and a kind, generous person. “Everyone who worked with him respected him. Everyone who knew him loved him,” the fundraiser reads.
Calls for Better Awareness and Screening
Medical professionals and public health advocates are using Chiranjeevi’s case to renew calls for better Valley fever awareness campaigns targeted at immigrant communities in endemic areas. Specific recommendations include:
- Mandatory awareness briefings for new immigrants arriving in endemic regions
- Inclusion of Valley fever in differential diagnosis protocols for physicians treating patients with persistent respiratory symptoms in endemic areas
- Development of rapid diagnostic tests that could reduce the time to diagnosis from weeks to days
- Workplace safety guidelines for outdoor workers and construction crews in endemic zones
The CDC has been working on a Valley fever vaccine for decades, but no approved vaccine currently exists. A promising candidate developed by researchers at the University of Arizona is currently in early-stage clinical trials, but widespread availability is likely years away.
For the Indian community in California and across the United States, Chiranjeevi Kolla’s death is a devastating reminder that the challenges faced by immigrants extend far beyond career and visa concerns. In the fertile soil of the American Southwest, an invisible threat lurks — one that claims lives each year, often because it is simply not recognised until it is too late.
Chiranjeevi’s family has requested that, in addition to financial support, people share information about Valley fever within their communities to prevent similar tragedies. “If even one life is saved because someone recognises the symptoms early,” his cousin wrote, “then Chiranjeevi’s story will have meant something beyond our grief.”
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