The NHS has issued a warning for treating a disease that appears to be rife among celebrities.
If you’ve spotted a number of celebrities falling ill, all with seemingly the same disease, don't worry, you’re not going insane.
Recent research suggests that approximately 476,000 people may be diagnosed and treated for the disease in question in the US alone every single year.
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But why is it seemingly targeting celebrities?
The latest star to share their diagnosis of the bacterial infection is none other than Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, but before him, there have been many others.
They include: 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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The NHS has now warned about the symptoms, and what you should do if you think you are suffering.
It has, however, assured that the chance of getting seriously ill is very low.
On its website, it states that: “You do not need to do anything else unless you notice a rash or become unwell.”
Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in infectious diseases, has theorised exactly why celebrities seem to be catching Lyme Disease - the infection in question.
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Why are so many celebrities getting lyme disease?
Speaking to MailOnline, he said: “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.
“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.
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“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.”
According to the NHS, lyme disease is a 'bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks'.
What are the symptoms of lyme disease?
The NHS warns that the symptoms are easier to treat if it gets diagnosed early, the first of which is usually a ‘circular or oval shape rash' forming around a tick bite.
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Flu-like symptoms are often a telltale sign, which can often develop several days or weeks after being bitten.
These include:
- A high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery
- Headache
- Muscle and joint pain
- Tiredness and loss of energy
Not all ticks in the UK carry the bacteria that causes lyme disease, so it’s important not to panic straight away if you suspect you have been bitten.
However, it is important to have them removed safely.
The NHS says: “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.”
Mia Williams