Dr. Anthony Fauci, the retired director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is recovering at home after he was hospitalized with West Nile virus, a disease spread through the bite of infected mosquitos.
A spokesperson said Fauci, 83, is expected to recover fully from the illness, CNN reported Saturday.
There was no indication about how long Fauci, who became a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, was in the hospital.
Fauci also served as chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden. He retired from public service in December 2022.
According to health experts, about 1,000 Americans end up in the hospital every year after contracting severe versions of the West Nile virus.
On average, another 1,500 people are diagnosed with the disease every year, but experts estimate that up to 80% of infections are not diagnosed.
Most cases of the disease, which causes a rash and flu-like symptoms, are mild. But in rare cases, about one out of 150, the virus will invade the brain and nervous system, which can lead to swelling or damage of the brain or death.
About 100 people a year die in the United States from West Nile virus. There is no vaccine or specific treatment for the disease, which generally strikes in August and September.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 216 cases have been reported this year in 33 states, as of Aug. 20. Of those, 142 were neuroinvasive, or affected the brain.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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