US's ex-Covid advisor Anthony Fauci infected with West Nile virus: Spokesperson

USA,UPDATED: Aug 25, 2024 10:22 IST

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former top US infectious disease expert, spent time in the hospital after being infected with West Nile virus and is now recovering at home, a spokesperson confirmed on Saturday.

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 don't experience symptoms, about 1 in 5 can develop a fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhoea, or rash, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. About 1 out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness.

CBS News’ chief medical correspondent, Dr. Jonathan LaPook, wrote in a social media post that he spoke 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’ yearslong investigation into the origins of Covid-19 and the US response to the disease.

Fauci last 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 states this year. It's best prevented by avoiding mosquito bites.