Fauci says West Nile Virus was a ‘harrowing’ experience: ‘Afraid I would never recover’

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the public face of the U.S. coronavirus pandemic response, is speaking out about his "terrifying" bout with West Nile virus (WNV) in August.

In an op-ed in The New York Times on Monday, the former top infectious-disease official, now 83, wrote that he believes he caught the virus from a mosquito bite while outdoors at his Washington home.

He chalked up his weakness and fatigue to lingering COVID symptoms at first, until he "became delirious and incoherent with a temperature of 103 degrees," leading to a six-day hospitalization.

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"After I spent more than 50 years chasing and fighting viruses, one fought back and nearly took me down," Fauci wrote.

"There is no treatment for West Nile virus disease, and I was left to deal with its toll on my body."

He described the experience as "terrifying" and "harrowing."

"A very scary part of the ordeal was the effect on my cognition," Fauci said. 

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"I was disoriented, unable to remember certain words, asking questions of my family that I should have known answers to."

"I was afraid that I would never recover and return to normal."

Fauci has since recovered, stating that the cognitive symptoms have subsided and he is now walking several miles each day.

"I tell my story because West Nile virus is a disease that, for many people, can have devastating and permanent consequences," he wrote.

In the op-ed, Fauci called for more resources to address the threat of West Nile, which can have "devastating and permanent consequences."

As of Oct. 8, there have been 976 West Nile virus cases in the U.S. across 46 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Among those, 684 cases were neuroinvasive (severe).

Since the West Nile virus first entered the U.S. in 1999, it has become the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the country.

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In most cases, the West Nile virus — a flavivirus in the same family as yellow fever, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis and the Zika virus — is spread when Culex mosquitoes bite infected birds and then bite people and other animals, per the CDC’s website.

The virus is not transmitted through eating or handling infected animals or birds — nor is it spread through physical contact, coughing or sneezing.

A vast majority — around 80% — of the people who contract the virus will not experience any symptoms, the CDC states on its website.

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"It causes a rash and other symptoms, including swollen lymph nodes, which other viruses in its class do not exhibit," Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, previously told Fox News Digital.

"It only affects the nervous system 1% of the time and is rarely fatal."

Around one in five people will develop febrile illness, which is marked by a fever along with body aches, headache, joint pain, diarrhea, rash and/or vomiting. 

These symptoms usually go away on their own, but some people may have lingering weakness and fatigue months after infection.

In rare cases — about one in every 150 infected people — the virus can lead to serious conditions affecting the nervous system, such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord), the CDC states on its website.

Those who develop serious illness may experience headache, stiff neck, high fever, disorientation, vision loss, muscle weakness, convulsions, tremors, coma or paralysis, which occur when there is viral infection of the central nervous system.

Among people who have this invasive form of the illness, around 10% will die.

It affects the nervous system 1% of the time and is rarely fatal, statistics show.

While anyone can potentially develop severe illness, the highest-risk groups include those over 60 years of age, people who have had organ transplants and those with diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, kidney disease, immune disorders and other certain medical conditions.

"The virus’ effects can be quite serious in the elderly," Siegel noted.

Those who think they might have been infected with WNV should be assessed by a health care provider, the CDC states.

Diagnosis of the infection can be made based on evaluation of symptoms, recent exposure to mosquitoes and testing of blood or spinal fluid.

Health care providers will typically recommend treating symptoms with over-the-counter pain medications and getting plenty of rest and fluids.

Those who experience severe illness may need to be hospitalized for supportive care.

There is currently no vaccine for West Nile virus.

"The virus can be contained through public health measures including more insect repellent with DEET, longer sleeves and less stagnant water in our backyards," Siegel said.

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Trying to kill adult mosquitoes by spreading too much insecticide can be problematic, the doctor warned. 

"Animals, people with asthma and insects that would otherwise kill the mosquitoes are affected."

The most effective means of prevention is to protect against mosquito bites, the CDC confirmed.

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The agency’s recommendations include using insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, and taking steps to control exposure to mosquitoes — particularly at dawn and dusk.

Eliminating any standing water outdoors can help prevent mosquitoes from breeding.