Fox News anchor John Roberts revealed he will be away from the news desk as he battles a severe case of malaria.

Roberts, 68, announced his diagnosis on Tuesday after viewers noticed he was not on the airwaves during his 1pm America Reports time slot. 

‘I somehow came down with a severe case of Malaria,’ the veteran anchor wrote on X. 

‘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.’

He thanked his colleague Trace Gallagher for filling in for him alongside his co-host Sandra Smith, and he thanked his doctors at Inova Health, a Virginia-based healthcare provider. 

‘Thank you to Trace for jumping into the chair today,’ Roberts said. ‘Thanks to the folks at @InovaHealth for their expertise and compassion…!’

It is unclear how Roberts contracted the illness and how long he is expected to be out recovering.

Malaria is caused by a parasite endemic to tropical and subtropical regions globally, including parts of Africa, South Asia, and South America, and is transmitted through bites from Anopheles mosquitoes.

Fox News America Reports anchor John Roberts (pictured), 68, announced he ‘somehow came down with a severe case of Malaria,’ on Tuesday

Transmission from mosquitoes to people is a greater public health threat in those regions with warm, humid climates. 

However, rising temperatures across the US are creating more suitable environments for mosquitoes to thrive, increasing the potential for disease transmission.

Malaria causes flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, and fatigue, appearing seven to 30 days after exposure. 

While curable with prescription drugs, it is fatal without prompt diagnosis and treatment. 

If caught early, malaria can be cured with medication, but it can turn deadly very quickly if left untreated with antimalarial drugs. A 24-hour delay can increase the risk of death by one to five times.

Even with treatment, mortality rates remain high, between 15 percent and 20 percent. 

Earlier in August, New Jersey health officials reported what could be the first locally acquired case of a deadly mosquito-borne illness in the state in 34 years.

Authorities are working to confirm if a malaria case in a Morris County resident, who has not traveled internationally, was contracted in the US.

The concern surrounding the New Jersey case stems from the fear that the conditions for local transmission, an infected person, a local mosquito capable of carrying the parasite, and a susceptible public, may be converging to pose a potentially serious public health problem.

Malaria causes flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, and fatigue, appearing seven to 30 days after exposure and can be fatal without prompt diagnosis and treatment

It is a potentially fatal illness, especially for high-risk individuals, including young children, pregnant women, older adults, and those with a weakened immune system or no spleen.

Malaria causes severe illness by destroying red blood cells, a process that can rapidly deplete their numbers and lead to life-threatening anemia.

A critical lack of oxygen-carrying cells prevents the body’s muscles and organs from functioning properly, resulting in feelings of intense drowsiness, weakness, and faintness.

The New Jersey case indicates that infected mosquitoes are circulating locally. While the overall risk remains low, it is no longer zero. Public health officials are containing the threat, but personal precautions such as bug spray are increasingly necessary.

A local malaria outbreak requires a specific sequence of events where a mosquito serves as the bridge between an infected traveler and a new, local person.

The unnamed Morris County, New Jersey resident had not traveled recently, but could have been bitten by a local Anopheles mosquito that picked up the malaria-causing parasite.

Acting New Jersey Health Commissioner Jeff Brown said: ‘While risk to the general public is low, it’s important to take the necessary precautions to prevent locally acquired malaria in New Jersey.

‘The most effective ways are to prevent mosquito bites in the first place and to ensure early diagnosis and treatment of malaria in returning travelers.’

The Daily Mail contacted Fox News, Inova Health and the Virginia Department of Health for more information.