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Ashima Sharda Mahindra • 18 Jul 2024

What Is Lyme Disease Alexis Ohanian - Reddit Co-founder And Serena Williams' Husband Has Been Diagnosed With?

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bite of an infected deer tick

Reddit co-founder and Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian has been diagnosed with the deadly Lyme disease; he revealed on social media. The 41-year-old father of two, who is asymptomatic said his diagnosis came after “a full battery of health scans” and that he was surprised at the news since he spends “so little time in the wilderness.”
“No symptoms, thankfully, but gonna treat. I’ve got a loved one who had it a few years back, showed tons of symptoms, etc, and just couldn’t figure it out until they tested him for it and then found it (treated it successfully, too). I spend so little time in the wilderness/northeast this was quite a surprise,” the Tech-entrepreneur wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
According to experts, Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bite of an infected deer tick - also known as a black-legged tick. The bacteria that lead to this in the United States is usually called Borrelia burgdorferi.
Cleveland Clinic says Lyme disease evolves through various stages, which overlap and cause symptoms that involve the skin, joints, heart, or nervous system, which include:
  • Early localized Lyme disease
  • Early disseminated Lyme disease
  • Late persistent, late disseminated, or just late Lyme disease
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports around 4,76,000 cases of Lyme disease every year, however, doctors say there are thousands of unreported ones as well. The condition is most prevalent in the upper midwestern, northeastern, and mid-Atlantic states. A 2022 report revealed that Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine had the highest incidence rates for Lyme disease, with New York placing sixth among US states.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the number of Lyme disease cases has been steadily increasing for decades, from 3.74 reported cases per 100,000 people in 1991 to 7.21 reported cases per 100,000 people in 2018.

Signs and symptoms of Lyme disease

A few signs of this condition typically include:
  • A reddish rash or skin lesion starts as a small red spot at the site of the tick bite within a week to four weeks after the bite. The spot then continuously expands forming a circular, triangular, or oval-shaped rash.
  • High fever
  • Severe headache
  • Stiffness in the neck
  • Body pain and joint aches
  • Fatigue and tiredness
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Paralysis of facial muscles
  • Heart block
  • Recurring swollen joints that lead to arthritis
  • Difficulty concentrating leads to brain fog
  • Damage to nerves all over your body, including your skin, muscles and organs

How do you contract Lyme disease?

Doctors say Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii bacterium cause Lyme disease, which spreads through the black-legged tick. The ticks get attached to your skin for at least 36-48 hours or longer before the disease gets transmitted. However, removing the tick within 24 hours can significantly reduce the risk of contracting the illness.
You can take oral antibiotics - including amoxicillin, doxycycline, and cefuroxime, which are the standard treatment for Lyme disease. People treated with appropriate antibiotics in the early stages usually recover quickly and completely.