Montreal: Pop superstar Justin Bieber announced Wednesday that he has Lyme disease, which is contracted through a tick bite.
In a post on Instagram, Bieber said in a YouTube documentary that he will address his struggle with the illness. “It's been a rough couple years but getting the right treatment that will help treat this so far incurable disease and I will be back and better than ever,” the 25-year-old entertainer wrote in the caption.
He called out critics who he says have been unfairly commenting on his looks by saying he looks like he is "on meth."
“They failed to realize I've been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease, not only that but had a serious case of chronic mono which affected my, skin, brain function, energy, and overall health.”
Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through infected ticks, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms can include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, joint aches and a "bull's-eye" rash that occurs in 70 to 80 percent of infections.
Most people who are treated with antibiotics early fully recover, according to the CDC, though the infection can become severe or prolonged in some cases.
The photo portion of Bieber's post shows a TMZ article reporting that the YouTube documentary is set for a January 27 release.
“You can learn all that I've been battling and OVERCOMING!!" he wrote on Instagram.
He spent much of last year suffering but undiagnosed, TMZ reported, until doctors figured out what was wrong.
The post's photos include pictures said to have been taken in September 2019 of Bieber appearing to be hooked up to an IV drip.
In subsequent Instagram posts and on his Instagram story later in the day, Bieber thanked his fans for supporting his new song ‘Yummy,’ released last week.
And the Canadian seemed to say he is doing better, posting a meme video of a little girl dancing with the caption, ‘But now this is how I'm feelin’’.
Bieber was discovered by talent scouts as a young teenager after posting videos of himself singing on YouTube and quickly shot to superstardom. He has since won several MTV awards, Billboard Music awards and a Grammy, among others.
