Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is recovering after hospitalized with the potentially fatal West Nile virus.
Fauci, a longtime health official who also led the White House’s Coronavirus Task Force, spent six days in the hospital before he was allowed to return home, a spokesperson said on Saturday.
The 83-year-old doctor is expected to make a full recovery.
West Nile virus is the most common mosquito-borne disease in the United States with about 2,500 Americans diagnosed each year, including 1,000 who are hospitalized, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. An estimated 80% of infections are never diagnosed.
Most cases are mild, with the virus usually causing flu-like symptoms and a rash. But it can also attack the brain and nervous system, leading to brain damage or even death. About 100 Americans die from the virus each year.
There is no vaccine, specific treatment or remedy.
Fauci served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases from 1984 until his retirement in 2022. He was also appointed Chief Medical Advisor to the President by Joe Biden, serving in the role from January 2021 to December 2022.
Since then, Fauci has joined the faculty of Georgetown University, where he serves as a professor in the School of Medicine. He also holds a position in the university’s McCourt School of Public Policy.
As the face of the Covid-19 response, Fauci drew both praise and condemnation, particularly from Republicans. In June, he testified before a House panel investigating the response, where he was accused by GOP lawmakers of orchestrating a cover-up of the virus’ origins. He branded the allegations “simply absurd” at the time.
That same month, Fauci published his memoir, “On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service.”