Justin Timberlake announced he's been battling Lyme disease, a debilitating infectious disease typically transmitted through a tick bite. Tick populations and bites are at their highest levels in over five years,

Timberlake, 44, opened up about his "debilitating" Lyme disease symptoms after coming under criticism for his tour performances.

LOS ANGELES — Justin Timberlake has been diagnosed with Lyme disease, the former NSYNC star said on Instagram Thursday. Timberlake shared the news in a post commemorating his Forget Tomorrow tour, which wrapped in Turkey on Wednesday, adding that the disease “can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically.”