Tim Brown of the Los Angeles Times reports that Shaquille O?Neal is now free of the virus that has plagued his body for much of the last month. With a normal blood test, O?Neal has finally been cleared for surgery on his arthritic big toe.

Doctors told O'Neal's agent, Perry Rogers, that blood tests administered this week were normal. O'Neal had twice been admitted into an Orlando-area hospital to be treated for high body temperatures and other complications, including a swollen liver.

Dr. Robert Mohr will perform the cheilectomy, a procedure he expects will relieve O'Neal's pain and restore his mobility. The recovery is expected to take at least six weeks, and so there is a chance O'Neal would miss part of the regular season. The Lakers open Oct. 29 against San Antonio.