SYDNEY — American actor Zac Efron confirmed on Monday that he recently fell ill while filming a survival reality TV show in Papua New Guinea. Australian media had reported that 32-year-old Efron was flown by helicopter for treatment in Australia after contracting a bacterial infection, possibly typhoid, while shooting the “Killing Zac Efron” series. Typhoid fever is transmitted by contaminated food and water, and kills 216,000 to 600,000 people worldwide each year. “Killing Zac Efron” is billed as an adventure series in which “The Greatest Showman” star ventures “deep into the jungles of a remote, dangerous island to carve his own name in expedition history.”The series was commissioned by short content platform Quibi, which is scheduled to launch in April. Efron had previously posted images on social media showing him in a canoe on PNG’s Sepik River and traveling to Yanchan Village to see a traditional skin-cutting ceremony.

Source: National Post December 30, 2019 01:07 UTC