Infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci recovering from West Nile virus

(Patria) - Former top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci is recovering from West Nile virus after being hospitalized for nearly a week with the mosquito-borne illness, he told Stat News on Saturday, Reuters reported.

Fauci, 83, became the face of the U.S. government's efforts to curb the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

He retired in December 2022 after 54 years of service at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, including 38 as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

In an interview with Stat News on Saturday, Fauci said he spent six days in the hospital starting on Aug. 16 as doctors worked to figure out the source of his weakness and fever.

He then tested positive for West Nile virus, telling the digital news outlet, “I’ve never been sicker in my life.”

The virus is transmitted by infected mosquitoes. About 2,500 cases and 182 deaths from the disease were reported in the United States last year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are no specific treatments or vaccines for the disease.

Fauci said he expects to make a full recovery, though it may take him several weeks to get back to normal, Stat reported.