RIO DE JANEIRO, May 6, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro said Sunday he had been hospitalized for a skin infection.

"I have been admitted to the Santa Julia Hospital in Manaus," the right-wing ex-leader posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"I have erysipelas," the 69-year-old said, offering "a hug to everyone."

Erysipelas is a bacterial skin infection which can cause pain and fever.

Bolsonaro had spent the weekend in the northern Amazonas city of Manaus, campaigning for Alberto Neto, the Liberal Party candidate for the October mayoral election.

The former president "was hospitalized at Santa Julia Hospital yesterday (Saturday) morning, with dehydration and a skin infection," the hospital said in a statement.

"He returned to the hospital after his (campaign) commitment, where he remains hospitalized for IV antibiotics and hydration," the statement said.

Neto posted a picture of himself alongside a smiling Bolsonaro lying in a hospital room.

Bolsonaro has been hospitalized several times in recent years -- most recently in September -- and has also undergone several surgeries after being stabbed in the abdomen during the 2018 presidential campaign.