Dr. Fauci Recovering After Hospitalization For West Nile Virus

Dr. Anthony Fauci , the former top U.S. infectious disease expert, is recovering at home after being hospitalized due to West Nile virus , according to a spokesperson. The 83-year-old is expected to make a full recovery. The spokesperson confirmed the news on Saturday (August 24), speaking 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 one in five can develop a fever , headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash, according to the Centers 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.

"I just got off the phone with Dr. Anthony Fauci. Dr. Fauci was hospitalized about ten days ago after developing fever, chills, and severe fatigue. Evaluation revealed that he had been infected with the West Nile virus, likely from a mosquito bite that he got in his backyard. He left the hospital three days ago and is recovering at home. The prognosis is for a full recovery," LaPook wrote on X .

Fauci served as the chief White House medical adviser 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 U.S. response to the disease. Last summer, Fauci joined the faculty at Georgetown University as a distinguished university professor.

As of August 20, the CDC recorded 216 cases of West Nile virus in 33 states this year. There are no vaccines to prevent West Nile, nor are there medicines to treat it. It's best prevented by avoiding mosquito bites.