Rudy Giuliani admitted to hospital for flu

By M&C US News Dec 20, 2007, 7:12 GMT

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani gestures as he participates in the Des Moines Register/Iowa Public Television Republican presidential debate in Johnston, Iowa, USA, 12 December 2007. The first political test of the 2008 will be the Iowa caucus on 03 January 2008. EPA/ANDREA MELENDEZ / POOL

Republican Rudy Giuliani was admitted to a hospital Wednesday night for flu-like symptoms.

Giuliani fell ill while campaining for the Republican presidential nomination in Missouri, and when it became worse, he decided to go to a St. Louis hospital and spend the night there, according to his campaign office spokesperson.

"The symptoms worsened as the day wore on and shortly after taking off from Chesterfield, Missouri, for New York the mayor became uncomfortable enough that our plane returned to the airport in Chesterfield," Katie Levinson said. "To be on the safe side, the mayor consulted with his personal physician in New York and made the decision to go to the Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis for routine tests."

Giuliani will decide his next step Thursday morning, said his spokesmwoman, Maria Comella. He had no scheduled appointments for the day, she said.

Giuliani is devoting more of his attention to the delegate-rich New York, California and New Jersey state primaries while spending limited time in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Giuliani's strategy calls for securing victories in states that vote later, beginning with Florida on Jan. 29, and promise huge numbers of delegates to next summer's nominating convention.