Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss been admitted to hospital in Brisbane suffering acute dehydration.
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It is thought the condition is secondary and related to a severe stomach bug - most likely gastroenteritis.
The 65-year-old Queenslander's condition was assessed as serious enough to require hospitalisation and he is expected to be there for at least the next few days, meaning he will miss a Cabinet meeting set for Friday.
He may also be unfit for parliamentary duties when the House of Representatives sits from next Monday.
While Mr Truss was in Canberra during the week for landmark addresses by Chinese and Indian leaders, he had not been in the chamber for either speech due to being unwell.
His hospital admission briefly touched off speculation about his future amid a rumour swirling in Canberra that he might have been too ill to continue as leader of the junior Coalition party, the Nationals.
The Infrastructure and Regional Development Minister is also Deputy Prime Minister by virtue of that leadership position.
Insiders speculated his departure could see the elevation of the renegade Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, - currently the Agriculture Minister - who switched from the Senate to the House of Representatives at the last election, presumably with such a promotion in mind at some future point.
It is understood Mr Truss has been placed on a saline drip to restore his fluid levels but it is not clear when he will be fit to return to work.
Mr Joyce did not return calls.
