A musician with Lyme disease hopes Justin Timberlake's diagnosis will boost awareness of the condition. Ten years ago, Luke Pickett, then 26, was bitten by a tick while at a friend's wedding in Canada and was left with a circular rash.

Justin Timberlake 's announcement that he was diagnosed with Lyme disease has put a spotlight on the condition that impacts nearly 500,000 people in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Lyme disease is one of the most prevalent tick-borne diseases in New Jersey and nationwide. New Jersey had the fourth-highest Lyme disease case rates in the U.S. in 2023, according to the latest available data from the CDC. Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts were the only states with higher case rates.