Expert explains why so many celebrities seem to get Lyme disease as Justin Timberlake diagnosed

A health expert has weighed in on why so many celebrities are diagnosed with Lyme disease.

Yesterday (31 July), pop singer Justin Timberlake revealed that he'd been diagnosed with the condition after facing some criticism for his performances on tour.

He wrote in an emotional Instagram post: "I’ve been battling some health issues, and was diagnosed with Lyme disease — which I don’t say so you feel bad for me – but to shed some light on what I’ve been up against behind the scenes."

Timberlake's admission sparked an outpouring of support for the singer, but it also led to people questioning why it feels like so many celebrities are diagnosed with Lyme disease, with stars such as Justin Bieber, Bella Hadid, Kelly Osbourne, Miranda Hart, and Alec Baldwin having the condition.

What is Lyme disease?

Justin Timberlake opened up about his Lyme disease diagnosis (Lyvans Boolaky/WireImage)

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by ticks, which can cause a range of 'flu-like' symptoms, including high temperature, fatigue and muscle aches. Patients may also get a 'bullseye' shaped rash were they've been bitten. However, this doesn't happen to everyone.

The disease is treated with a course of antibiotics, with the amount of time between exposure, diagnosis and treatment impacting a person's recovery.

So why is it a disease which seems to disproportionately impact the rich and famous?

Why do so many famous people have Lyme disease?

Ticks are particularly common in certain areas in the US (Getty Stock Images)

According to an interview with Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in infectious diseases, by MailOnline, there are several key reasons why so many celebrities appear to have Lyme disease.

Hunter explains that celebrities will often have increased amounts of leisure time compared to us average Joes, which allows them to spend more of their days enjoying the great outdoors.

"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 explained.

So the key to avoiding Lyme disease is to stay indoors working all day?

Well, not always.

Justin Bieber is one of many high-profile names who've had the disease (DUTCH/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

While ticks can be found in most countries around the world, they're prevalent in the upper-Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states of America.

This includes upmarket areas such as the Hamptons or Nantucket, where celebrities have been known to enjoy downtime.

"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." Professor Hunter said.

It's also worth noting that famous people will have more access to tests and private treatments, which can be helpful when diagnosing Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome – a complication which is still poorly understood.

Bella Hadid has been very open about the impact Lyme disease has had on her health (Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)

However, the professor warned that long-term complications of Lyme disease can often be difficult to diagnose, with common symptoms being similar to other conditions.

"The problem is all of those are quite common in the population in the whole, some people particularly as you get older get joint pain quite often which can just be wear and tear, rheumatoid arthritis, or Lyme disease," he added.

"Distinguishing them, other than by definitive blood tests, is not easy."