Former top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci has spent time in hospital after being infected with West Nile virus and is recovering at home, a spokesperson has confirmed. or signup to continue reading Fauci is expected to make a full recovery, the spokesperson said on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. West Nile virus is commonly spread through the bite of an infected mosquito.
While most people do not experience symptoms, about one in five can develop a fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhoea or rash, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About one out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness. CBS News' chief medical correspondent Jonathan LaPook wrote in a social media post that he spoke on Saturday with Fauci, who said he was likely infected from a mosquito bite that he got in his backyard.
"Dr Fauci was hospitalised about ten days ago after developing fever, chills, and severe fatigue," the post on X said. It said Fauci spent a week in the hospital. As chief White House medical adviser, Fauci was the public face of the US government during the COVID-19 pandemic, a role that made him both a trusted voice to millions and also the target of partisan anger.
He left the government in 2022 but was back before Congress in June to testify as part of Republicans' years-long investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and the US response to the disease. Fauci last northern summer joined the faculty at Georgetown University as a distinguished university professor. There are no vaccines to prevent West Nile or medicines to treat it.
As of August 20, the CDC had recorded 216 cases in 33 US states this year. It is best prevented by avoiding mosquito bites. DAILY DURING PARALYMPICS Get the best news and analysis from the Paris Paralympic Games in a daily update.
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