Fauci recovering from West Nile virus after hospitalization, per reports

Former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci is recovering at home after being hospitalized briefly after contracting the West Nile virus, his spokesperson told multiple outlets Saturday. 

Fauci, who served as the face of the Trump and Biden administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, was in the hospital for around six days, The Washington Post reported.

 “Tony Fauci has been hospitalized with a case of West Nile virus. He is now home and is recovering," the spokesperson said in a statement shared with CNN and the Post. "A full recovery is expected."

The West Nile virus is spread through mosquito bites. The illness can lead to body aches, fever, rash and diarrhea, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). No vaccines or treatments are currently available for the virus.

Around 1,000 Americans are hospitalized with a severe form of the virus, per the CDC.

Fauci was called to testify before House Republicans earlier this year about his response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fiery event, which marked his first congressional hearing in nearly two years, ended with GOP lawmakers accusing him of covering up the origins of the virus, a claim he rejected as "simply preposterous."

The doctor retired from his post in the Biden administration and as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in December 2022.

He is now a distinguished professor at Georgetown University’s School of Medicine. 

Fauci’s memoir, “On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service,” was released in June where he reflected on his long career as an infectious disease expert.