Alexis Ohanian, the husband of Serena Williams, announced this Tuesday, July 16, on X (formerly Twitter) that he has Lyme disease, a serious infection transmitted by ticks.
Ohanian shared: “I did a series of health tests and found out I had Lyme disease. Wild. No symptoms, fortunately, but I will get treated. Good cholesterol is too low. Bad cholesterol is okay. Need to work on that. Positive point: 822 ng/dL of total testosterone + 162 ng/dL of free testosterone.”
According to the Ministry of Health, Lyme disease is transmitted by a bite from a tick infected with a borrelia, a bacterium. The infection is often asymptomatic but can, in some cases, be debilitating. Lyme disease is not contagious.
Ohanian added that he was “shocked” by this diagnosis, as he spends “very little time in nature.” Despite this, he remains positive: “I will take antibiotics – you won’t get me, tick!”
The first signs of the disease include headaches, joint pain, and fatigue. These symptoms are similar to those of the flu. At an advanced stage, these symptoms can include problems such as neurological issues, paralysis, intense joint pain, and brain inflammation.
Besides Alexis Ohanian, other celebrities like Bella Hadid, Amy Schumer, Justin Bieber, Ben Stiller, and Alec Baldwin have also been affected by this disease. Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams, married since 2017, are the parents of two children: Olympia, 6 years old, and Adira, 11 months old.