Why so many celebrities are all being diagnosed with the same disease
A number of household names have reported being diagnosed with a particular bacterial infection, and one expert has weighed in on the reasons why so many celebs seem to have it.
According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, recent estimates suggest that approximately 476,000 people may be diagnosed and treated for the disease each year in the US alone.
One of the latest celebrities to share their diagnosis is Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, and it's left many wondering: why on earth are so many celebrities being diagnosed with the same thing?
Ohanian joins a bunch of other major celebs who also have had the disease including the likes of; Yolanda Hadid, Bella Hadid, Justin Bieber, Ben Stiller, Amy Schumer, Shania Twain, Alec Baldwin, Avril Lavigne, Kelly Osbourne and Riley Keough.
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Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in infectious diseases from the University of East Anglia, has since explained what factors could make those in the spotlight more vulnerable to catching the infection known as Lyme disease.
What is Lyme disease?
According to the NHS, Lyme disease is a 'bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks'. The disease refers to the symptoms and health problems that develop as a result of the infection.
It's usually easier to treat if it's diagnosed early with one of the main early symptoms being a 'circular or oval shape rash' forming around a tick bite.
Some people also get flu-like symptoms several days or weeks after they were bitten by an infected tick, such as:
- A high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery
- Headache
- Muscle and joint pain
- Tiredness and loss of energy
Why do so many celebrities get diagnosed with Lyme disease?
Professor Hunter spoke to MailOnline and suggested that A-listers' increased leisure time and greater access to wilder outdoor areas where ticks reside, than normal people, could simply make it a numbers game.
"If there is a rich and famous or class bias in this, it's probably because they spend more time walking around in wooded parkland, more money to go out to those areas, or have big homes with these sorts of places," he added.
Also, a lot of these celebs likely live across the pond in the US where Lyme disease is known for being quite prevalent.
The expert continued: "As you're walking along the ticks jump on your legs and crawl their way up... have a blood feast and give you Lyme disease."
He went on: "If you go walking in these sorts of places the best thing to do is check, when you get home, that you don't have any ticks on you and if you have remove them safely."
How to spot and remove ticks
It's important to note that not all ticks in England carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.
With that said, however, it's still important to be aware of ticks and to safely remove them as soon as possible, just in case.
"Ticks that may cause Lyme disease are found all over the UK, but high-risk places include grassy and wooded areas in southern and northern England and the Scottish Highlands," the NHS explains.
Tick bites aren't always painful so you may not notice a tick unless you see it on your skin.
If you do find you've been targeted by a tick, you can safely remove it by:
- Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool. You can buy these from some pharmacies, vets and pet shops.
- Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
- Slowly pull upwards, taking care not to squeeze or crush the tick. Dispose of it when you have removed it.
- Clean the bite with antiseptic or soap and water.
The NHS assures: "The chance of getting ill is low. You do not need to do anything else unless you notice a rash or become unwell."
It adds that the majority of people 'get better after antibiotic treatment'. And while this 'can take months for some', 'the symptoms should improve over time'.
Rhiannon Ingle