What Disease Did Rick Lagina Catch On The Curse Of Oak Island?

History's "The Curse of Oak Island" is a long-running reality series that sees brothers Rick and Marty Lagina searching for a treasure said to be located on Nova Scotia's Oak Island. After nearly a decade, the reality series has had its fair share of excitement and scares. Longtime fans may remember the Season 5 episode where it was revealed that Rick had contracted Lyme disease. 

Season 5, Episode 6 — "Remains of the Day" – sees the Lagina brothers and the rest of the Oak Island team conducting a dual induction test around the area of the Money Pit. The test is used in part to locate electrically conductive substances below ground, such as gold or silver, the results of which Rick is particularly interested in. So, his absence from the dig site on the test day raises alarm bells for Marty and the Oak Island crew. "If he's not here, he's not well," Marty says to the crew during the episode.

As it turns out, Rick had been bitten by an Ixodes tick, commonly known as a deer tick, as was explained by the episode's narrator. His symptoms, as he explains them to his brother, include a swollen, circular rash about 3-4 inches across on his back, as well as aches, chills, and a persistent headache that had lasted four days.

Rick Lagina was encouraged by his brother Marty Lagina to go to the emergency room, where he was diagnosed at the earliest possible stage of Lyme disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, when the disease is caught early, it is usually treated with 2-4 weeks of antibiotics. This was the case for "The Curse of Oak Island" star, who was prescribed 30 days of antibiotics.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted through ticks and is often identified by a tell-tale bulls-eye-shaped rash. Though not usually life-threatening, Lyme can be dangerous if not caught early and can potentially and permanently damage a person's brain, muscles, heart, and nervous system. Additionally, Lyme disease can inflame the membranes around the brain and spinal cord, which causes headaches.

"I was completely unaware that I had gotten Lyme disease. Had it not been for the bulls-eye [rash] I would have paid no attention," Rick Lagina said during the episode. "And there's a lot of serious complications that arise if you don't catch it early." 

Lagina has not provided an update on his Lyme disease, or his general health status, since the episode originally aired.