Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is recovering at home after being hospitalized with West Nile virus, a spokesman said.
Fauci, a longtime public health official who became a household name as part of the White House’s Coronavirus Task Force, is expected to make a full recovery, the spokesman said.
About 1,000 Americans are hospitalized every year with the most serious form of West Nile virus, which is spread through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Another 1,500 on average are diagnosed after developing symptoms, although experts estimate that as many as 80% of infections in the United States are never identified.
There is no vaccine or specific treatment for West Nile. Most cases are mild and cause flu-like symptoms and a rash. In about 1 in 150 cases, the virus invades the brain and nervous system, which can lead to brain swelling, brain damage or death. About 100 people die from West Nile infections in the United States each year.
The heaviest virus activity is usually seen in August and September. On August 20, 216 cases have been reported this year in 33 states, with 142 neuroinvasive cases, according to preliminary data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CNN’s Brenda Goodman contributed to this report.
For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com