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Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe hospitalized

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe was hospitalized Monday for a condition related to being thrown from a horse a month ago.
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe speaks to reporters on Nov. 4, 2014 in Arlington, Va. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty)
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe speaks to reporters on Nov. 4, 2014 in Arlington, Va.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe was hospitalized Monday for a condition related to an injury he sustained over Christmas when he was thrown from a horse while on vacation with his family in Africa, the governor's office said.

The governor initially suffered seven broken ribs from the fall, but was otherwise fine and active. However, on Monday, doctors discovered fluid around his lungs, a potentially dangerous condition that requires a procedure to remove.

“While the injury did not impair his ability to his job and his doctors expected the injury to heal on its own,” the fluid required the hospitalization, spokesperson Brian Coy said in a statement.

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McAuliffe will remain in the hospital recovering for two to three days, Coy said. 

McAuliffe has been active since the injury, even attending an event to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday.

The Democratic governor was first elected in 2013 and is a close friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton’s.