Former Fox Meteorologist Janice Dean Reveals Viral Meningitis Diagnosis: I've Never Been This Sick Before
Former Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean revealed on Instagram on November 9 that she has been diagnosed with viral meningitis. "I've been taking a bit of a break from social media because I was diagnosed with viral meningitis," she wrote. "I've never been this sick before and it could take months to recover." Dean, 56, left the morning show Fox & Friends in July after more than 20 years, as her multiple sclerosis worsened.
In the post, she thanked the people who have been caring for her: the doctors, nurses, teachers at her kid's school, neighbors who have helped out, friends who have checked in, and her family. "And all of you who prayed for me, it's helping," she wrote.
According to PEOPLE, Dean spent October in and out of the hospital, and wrote on October 28 that the illness had knocked her off her feet. In a Substack post, she explained that her health troubles began with severe, achy pain in her legs and feet, exhaustion and an overall feeling of being unwell; her kids' little colds passed quickly, but as someone who lives with an autoimmune disease, she wrote, a little bug can turn into a monster, and every time she gets sick she worries her MS will get worse.
Dean was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2005. On June 25, 2026, she announced she would step away from Fox News for health reasons, and she retired on July 12. According to PEOPLE, citing the Cleveland Clinic, meningitis is an infection and inflammation of the fluid and membranes around the brain and spinal cord, with symptoms that can include fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, nausea and vomiting. As of November 9, Dean had not said when she expects to fully recover or how she contracted the infection.
Source: PEOPLE
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Janice Dean 本人2019年资料图（Whoisjohngalt 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons；原竖幅图已制成16:9成品，人物完整未裁切）
