Fauci tests positive for West Nile virus leading to hospitalization as America’s former top doctor gives update
Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was hospitalized with West Nile virus and is now recovering at home.
Fauci, who served on the White House Coronavirus Task Force, is expected to make a full recovery, a spokesperson told CNN.
West Nile virus is the most common mosquito-borne disease in the continental U.S., with a median of more than 2,200 cases reported each year, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
About 1,000 people are hospitalized each year with the most severe form of the disease. If the disease spreads to the brain and nervous system, it can lead to brain swelling, brain damage, and death.
There is no specific treatment or vaccine for the virus, but most cases are mild and may cause flu-like symptoms or a rash.
Your chances of contracting the virus are greatest in August and September, when mosquito season is at its peak.
According to a CDC tracker, there have been 216 cases of West Nile virus in the U.S. as of August 20, spread across 33 states.
Approximately 65 percent of the total patient population has neuroinvasive disorders.