Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo left Commissioners Court early this week because of fatigue that she later discovered was a symptom of a mononucleosis infection, she said in social media posts late Thursday night.
As she recovers, she said in Facebook and X posts that she will be less visible in the community for a few weeks.
“I’ve been dealing with a lingering sore throat and intense fatigue,” she said. “I received extensive testing and the only explanation seemed to be exhaustion. My doctor ordered one more test for mono and around 8 p.m. tonight (Thursday) I received lab results confirming a mono diagnosis.”
She has been advised by her doctor to rest to prevent further complications, she said.
“I share this because I will be less visible around the community for the next several weeks while I recover and I want to be fully transparent about why,” she said online. “My team will represent me when necessary.”
She said she will be available and reachable during her recovery, especially in the event of an emergency.
Hidalgo expects recovery will take several weeks and she will have limited engagements during that time.
“Most people with mono get better in two to four weeks, but some may feel fatigued for several more weeks,” according to the health agency.
Symptoms of mononucleosis include extreme fatigue, fever, sore throat, headaches and body aches, swollen lymph nodes in the neck and armpits, a swollen liver or spleen or both, and rash.