Fauci Contracts West Nile Virus

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime public health official who became the face of the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, was hospitalized this month for six days with a case of West Nile virus. "He is now home and is recovering," a spokesperson said, per the Washington Post. "A full recovery is expected." Fauci, 83, who served as White House chief medical adviser as well as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, retired from government in December 2022. He now holds a position at Georgetown University.

The West Nile virus, which spreads through mosquito bites, can cause body aches, fever, rash, and diarrhea, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No vaccines or treatments are currently available for the virus. About 1,000 people in the US are hospitalized with a severe form of the virus, per the Hill. There are no vaccines or treatments available for West Nile patients. (More Anthony Fauci stories.)