Clinton faints, sustains concussion

US secretary of state apparently suffering from dehydration as she recovers from stomach bug that caused her to cancel overseas trip

WASHINGTON (AP) — US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who skipped an overseas trip this past week because of a stomach virus, sustained a concussion after fainting, the State Department said Saturday.

The 65-year-old Clinton, who’s expected to leave her job soon after serving as America’s top diplomat during US President Barack Obama’s first term, is recovering at home after the incident last week and is being monitored by doctors, according to a statement by aide Philippe Reines.

No further details were immediately available.

The statement said Clinton was dehydrated because of the virus and that she fainted and sustained a concussion. She will continue to work from home in the week ahead and looks forward to being back in the office “soon,” the statement said.

Congressional aides do not expect her to testify as scheduled at congressional hearings on Thursday into the Sept. 11 attack against a US diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, including the US ambassador.

The aides spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly discuss Clinton’s status.

Clinton backed out of a trip to North Africa and the Persian Gulf on Monday because she was sick. She caught the virus during a recent visit to Europe.

She’s known for her grueling travel schedule and is the most traveled secretary of state, having visited 112 countries while in the job.