Fox News anchor John Roberts won’t be in his usual seat on weekday afternoons as he battles malaria.
Roberts, 68, announced in a Tuesday post on X that he is temporarily out of the studio after he acquired the disease passed on to humans by mosquitoes.
“I somehow came down with a severe case of malaria,” he wrote. “I can honestly say that I am the only person in the hospital with malaria. In fact, one of my doctors said I’m the first case he has ever seen.”
Roberts thanked his fellow Fox News host Trace Gallagher for filling in his seat as Sandra Smith’s co-anchor on America Reports, which airs weekdays at 1 p.m.
The anchor also gave a shoutout to his doctors at Inova Health, a healthcare provider headquartered in Virginia.
The announcement was met with shock by Roberts’ X followers, many of whom were curious how he got the disease that is no longer endemic to the U.S.
“Recover quickly and fully!! 🙏🏼” former Superman actor turned ICE agent Dean Cain wrote.
“Beth and I are praying for a swift recovery!!” North Carolina Rep. Mark Harris said.
“Whoa! Feel better soon, John,” Fox Chief Washington Correspondent Mike Emanuel added.
The Daily Beast has reached out to Fox News for comment.
Malaria was eliminated from the U.S. in 1951, according to the CDC. However, the country still sees about 2,000 malaria cases per year. There were, on average, nearly seven deaths per year between 2007 and 2022.
Malaria is spread by mosquitoes. Cases in the U.S. were typically people who traveled to or from countries where the disease is widespread. The CDC said locally-acquired, mosquito-transmitted malaria is “rare” in the country.
Malaria patients often reported recently returning from Africa, the CDC said. Patients commonly reported visiting friends and family as their primary reason for travel.
