A company spokesman confirmed Saturday that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former top U.S. infectious disease expert, spent time in hospital after contracting West Nile virus and is now recovering at home.
A company official said on condition of anonymity for safety reasons that Fauci is expected to make a full recovery.
West Nile virus is usually spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Although most people have no symptoms, about 1 in 5 may develop fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 1 in 150 people infected develops serious, sometimes fatal, illness.
CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jonathan LaPook wrote on social media that he spoke with Fauci on Saturday, who said he likely contracted the disease from a mosquito bite he got in his backyard.
“Dr. Fauci was hospitalized about ten days ago after developing a fever, chills, and extreme fatigue,” the X post said. It said Fauci spent a week in the hospital.
As the White House’s top medical adviser, Fauci has been the public face of the U.S. government during the COVID-19 pandemic, a role that has made him both a trusted voice for millions and a target of partisan ire. He left government in 2022 but returned to Congress in June to testify as part of a years-long Republican investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and the U.S. response to the disease.
Last summer, Fauci joined the Georgetown University faculty as a professor emeritus.
There is no vaccine to prevent West Nile fever or medication to treat it. As of August 20, the CDC has documented 216 cases in 33 states this year. The best prevention is to avoid mosquito bites.