George Clooney, who has been drawing attention to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan since 2005, contracted Malaria while visiting the country earlier this month, according to a published report.

The U.S. actor says he has recovered fully from the mosquito-borne disease, TMZ reported.

Clooney was in Sudan earlier this month as the country conducted a week-long referendum to decide in the North would split from the South. A final tally is expected in early to mid-February.

Effects of the disease include, fever, chills, and flu-like illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Without treatment, infected people can die. The CDC estimates there were between 190-311 million cases of malaria in 2008. Among those between 708,000 to 1,003,000 died, most of them children in sub-Saharan Africa, the CDC said.

Sudan Medicine Sudan