Longtime Fox News anchor John Roberts is currently fighting one of the deadliest mosquito-borne diseases in the world — malaria.
The 68-year-old revealed to PEOPLE Magazine that the illness hit him suddenly and hard. “I had been hurting from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. I was also beset with uncontrolled shivering all during my show,” Roberts said. “I have never felt that sick in my life.”
Doctors confirmed the diagnosis after Roberts’ blood work showed low platelets and white blood cell counts. He was immediately sent to the ER where he received IV artesunate, a treatment used for severe malaria in the United States.
Roberts believes he contracted the disease during a two-week vacation in Indonesia earlier this month. The symptoms appeared about ten days after his return. Malaria, most common in tropical regions, can cause fevers, chills, body aches, nausea, and, in severe cases, organ failure if left untreated.
