AceShowbiz -

Elton John was forced to cancel his entire "Million Dollar Piano" shows in Las Vegas for April and May after he was infected by "harmful" and "rare" bacteria during his tour in South America. A rep for Elton said in a statement, "During a recent, successful tour of South America, Elton contracted a harmful and unusual bacterial infection."

Due to the mysterious illness, the 70-year-old singer had to spend two nights in intensive care. "During his return flight home from Santiago, Chile he became violently ill. Upon returning to the U.K., Elton's doctors admitted him to hospital, where he underwent immediate treatment to remove the infection. After spending two nights in intensive care followed by an extended stay in hospital, Elton was released from hospital on Saturday, April 22 and is now comfortably resting at home per doctor's advice," so the statement reads.

The infection could be deadly, but Elton's doctors managed to treat it successfully. "I am so fortunate to have the most incredible and loyal fans and apologize for disappointing them. I am extremely grateful to the medical team for their excellence in looking after me so well," Elton added to the statement.

There is still no confirmation whether the shows would be rescheduled or not, but Elton and his team have apologized for the inconveniences. The "Rocket Man" hitmaker is expected to be fully recovered and return to the stage in Twickenham, England on June 3.