How common is it to get Lyme disease in Tennessee? Justin Timberlake announces ‘debilitating’ diagnosis

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — It’s been called the silent epidemic. However, Lyme disease is back in the spotlight after Tennessee native Justin Timberlake announced he has a “debilitating” case.

Timberlake recently posted his Lyme disease diagnosis on social media after finishing up his two-year tour.

“Most patients that get treated for Lyme disease will recover from it,” said Dr. Donald Dumford, an infectious disease physician at Cleveland Clinic.

However, Dumford added that there are different phases of Lyme disease.

“So what happens is you get a tick bite, the tick typically has to be attached 2 to 3 days to transmit Lyme disease,” Dumford said.  

According to Dumford, the ticks can be so small that some people may have no idea that one is attached to them. Then, about 7 days later, they get their first symptoms.

“Early on, those are usually some fever, some very mild joint pains and muscle aches, and classically people will get a skin lesion that is a target shaped lesion,” Dumford explained.

If not treated right away, the symptoms can reportedly become chronic. According to Timberlake’s Instagram post, he would feel a massive amount of nerve pain, or felt fatigued and sick while on stage.  

However, Dumford said in most cases, if you catch it early, the disease is “very responsive” to antibiotics.

Lyme disease is often seen in the northeast and upper Midwest of the country. According to the Tennessee Department of Health, there were 39 cases of Lyme disease in 2023, an increase of 18% compared to 2022.   

Across the country, there were 89,470 cases in 2023, which is a 43% increase compared to 2022 numbers.

Dumford advised that if you do get bitten by a tick, don’t automatically assume the worst, adding that most people that get bitten are “not going to get Lyme disease.”