Anthony Fauci hospitalized after testing positive for West Nile Virus

Dr Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was hospitalized after testing positive for West Nile virus.

Fauci, a longtime public health official whobecame a household name as part of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, has now been discharged and is expected to recover fully, a spokesperson said.

“Tony Fauci has been hospitalized with a case of West Nile virus. He is now home and is recovering. A full recovery is expected,” the spokesperson said in a statement shared with the Washington Post. The outlet reported that Fauci had spent six days in hospital before being discharged.

Fauci, 83, ran the NIAID for nearly four decades before he retired in 2022. As well as fronting the US response to the Covid-19 pandemic, he acheived fame after becoming the target of political attacks from then-president Donald Trump.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States and is most commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito.

Cases of West Nile occur during mosquito season, which starts in the summer and continues through fall.

There are no vaccines to prevent or medicines to treat West Nile in people, though most people infected with the virus do not feel sick. Around one in five people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms. About one out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness, according to the CDC.

Despite leaving government nearly two years ago, Fauci has continued to face fierce political attacks from congressional Republicans for his role in the nation’s response to coronavirus.

In June, he testified