Anthony Fauci was hospitalized for six days this month after being infected with the potentially deadly West Nile Virus.
Fauci, the former longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is now back at home getting treatment.
Fauci, 83, who served on the White House Coronavirus Task Force, is expected to make a full recovery, a spokesperson told CNN.
The West Nile virus is the most common mosquito-spread disease in the continental US, with a median of over 2,200 cases being reported every year, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
About 1,000 people are hospitalized each year with the most severe form of the disease, which if it spreads to the brain and nervous system, can cause brain swelling, brain damage and death with a 3-15 percent mortality rate.
There is no specific treatment for the virus or vaccine, but 80 percent of cases are mild, where sufferers may experience flu-like symptoms or rashes.
The most likely time to contract the virus is in August and September, during the height of mosquito season.
Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, contracted the West Nile virus but is expected to fully recover
The West Nile virus is spread through mosquitos. The most serious cases can cause brain swelling, brain damage and death