Dr. Anthony Fauci Hospitalized With West Nile Virus

Dr. Anthony Fauci was briefly hospitalized earlier this week after contracting West Nile Virus, a spokesman for the retired NIH director said.

Fauci, 83, is best known for his role in leading COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and vaccination measures. He became a household name during the pandemic and later stayed on as President Biden's chief medical advisor. He also served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for a number of years.

"Tony Fauci has been hospitalized with a case of West Nile virus. He is now home and is recovering," a spokesperson for Fauci said in a statement Sunday. He is expected to make a full recovery.

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West Nike Virus is most commonly spread through infected mosquitos. Symptoms include muscle aches, loss of appetite, sore throat and high fever. The fatality rate for West Nile is roughly 3-15 percent in the most serious cases.

As of August 24, there have been 216 West Nile cases reported in 33 states so far this year. Of these 216 cases, 142 were neuroinvasive, meaning people developed a severe form of the disease such as inflammation of the brain or the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, NBC News reported. Cases that reach this level generally require hospitalization.

Several hundred to several thousand cases are reported in the United States each year. The bulk of cases are generally reported in August and September.

Disease experts have stated that West Nile has been more prevalent than expected this summer. Earlier this year, a record number of infected mosquitos were detected in the Las Vegas area.

Experts believe that roughly 80 percent of West Nile cases in the United States go undetected every year.

There is currently no vaccine or specific treatment currently available for the virus. While most cases are generally mild, roughly one in 150 require hospitalization.

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