After Ed Snow discovers his wife Elyse constantly sleeping for several days, she is admitted to the hospital. Dr. Cameron is very interested in the case. So much so that her interest convinces House to take the case. The doctors are puzzled by her symptoms, considering everything from tumors to breast cancer to rabbit fever. When all the treatments fail, House concludes she has African sleeping sickness contracted through sexual intercourse. However, neither Elyse nor Ed has ever been to Africa. Neither one will admit to having an affair. She will die without the proper treatment.
Spoilers ahead. Coverage follows the scope labeled below.
Complete story — includes the ending
After returning from jogging with his best friend, Ed ( Dominic Purcell ) is uncharacteristically abused by his bedridden wife, Elise ( Myndy Crist ). House concludes that she either has rabbit fever from cooking rabbits or African sleeping sickness, which must have been sexually transmitted since neither of them has been to Africa. They both strongly deny having an affair so House starts treatment for rabbit fever. When this fails he successfully treats her for sleeping sickness. She confesses to an affair with her husband's best friend, causing her husband to leave her. Final diagnosis: Human African trypanosomiasis