What is the meaning of the word "chronic" in the third paragraph?

In paragraph 3, the author makes a connection between the time periods lasting up until years after a tick bite, and persistent would be the best word to describe the author’s use of the word chronic.
Crippling is best used as a meaning for the word debilitating, which the author uses to describe the symptoms of Lyme Disease in paragraph 3, but does not have a connection with the word chronic in this case.
There is no connection between the gravity nor the intensity of the disease, and acute is usually used to contrast the word chronic. Therefore, it is incorrect.
The extremity of the disease is not blatantly described in the text, making drastic an incorrect choice.