Telugu Techie Chiranjeevi Dies in USA due to Valley fever

Tragic incidents leading to the death of Indian nationals living in abroad refuse to stop as frequent reports of heartbreaking tragedies continue to surface in the media.

In another similar case, a 37-year-old Telugu NRI named Chiranjeevi Kolla passed away in California after battling sickness due to a lesser known disease called Valley Fever, which is prevalent in some parts of southwestern USA and south central Washington state.

The victim reportedly fell ill in April with flu like symptoms. What appeared to be a normal viral infection worsened as days passed on and turned fatal despite medical intervention in the last minute.

Doctors initially suspected severe pneumonia, but it was later found that he was suffering with Valley Fever, a rare complication caused by fungus Coccidioides which lives in the soil.

Chiranjeevi battled for life through ventilator and several medical procedures. But, he couldn’t be saved due to the seriousness of the issue. The infection spread into his lungs and affected his breathing and ultimately led to his death. He is survived by his wife Pavani Marella and a five year old son. He had been working as a lead engineer for a company in California.

Medical experts say that Valley Fever is not a severe illness as most of the people recover after a few days, but cases requiring hospitalization do occur, particularly when diagnosis is delayed or when the infection aggressively affects the lungs.

Chiranjeevi Kolla’s death has devastated his close friends and family members. He is described as a kind and lovely man whose death has left everyone in utter shock.