Former NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci was hospitalized with West Nile virus this month according to reports.
Fauci was released after six days in the hospital and is now recovering at his home, a spokesperson for the former White House COVID-19 task force chief said in a statement.
“Tony Fauci has been hospitalized with a case of West Nile virus. He is now home and is recovering. A full recovery is expected,” the spokesperson said, according to the Washington Post.
West Nile virus is a relatively rare and potentially deadly mosquito-borne illness that can cause fever, body aches, diarrhea and rash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most cases are “mild” but in 1 out of 150 cases, the virus invades the nervous system and can lead to brain swelling, damage or death.
There are no vaccines or treatments for the virus.
Since the introduction of West Nile virus in the United States in 1999, there have been 2,958 deaths, with approximately 100 people dying from West Nile infections in the US annually.
