Population Structure and Genetic Diversity among Isolates of Coccidioides posadasii in Venezuela and Surrounding Regions

Valley Fever is a fungal disease caused by two species of fungi: Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii . These fungi are found throughout the arid regions of North and South America; however, our understanding of genetic diversity and disease in South America is limited. In this report, we analyze 10 new genomes of Coccidioides posadasii from regions bordering the Caribbean Sea. We show that these populations are distinct and that isolates from Venezuela are likely a result of a recent bottleneck. These data point to patterns that might be observed when investigating recently established populations.