Tick-Borne Meat Allergy Condition Spreading In US
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently sounded an alarm about an emerging public health concern – alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), an allergy to red meat transmitted by tick bites. A recent CDC study revealed that cases have been increasing, potentially affecting nearly half a million Americans.
With warmer weather enticing many to outdoor activities, the risks rise of encounters with lone star ticks, the primary culprits behind AGS. The spread of these ticks has been primarily in states with known populations of the species, although they are found throughout the country. When an infected tick bites, it may induce an allergic reaction to alpha-gal, a sugar molecule found in most mammalian meat products.
As an alpha-gal patient, Bernadine Heller-Greenman attests, “The first sign was a rash that I had that I could never figure out what it was from.” The symptoms vary from nausea, diarrhea, and cough to more severe ones like difficulty breathing, drops in blood pressure and severe stomach pain.
This tick-induced allergy has raised a caution flag as it could make red meat one of the top ten most common food allergies in the United States. Johanna Salzer, the study’s co-author, emphasizes the critical importance of clinicians recognizing AGS to evaluate, diagnose, manage and educate their patients properly. However, the delayed onset of symptoms, typically two-to-six hours after consumption of red meat, makes diagnosis a complex task.
Scott Commins, a leading researcher in AGS, sees the condition as a fascinating study from an immunology perspective. He acknowledges the challenges of raising awareness of a relatively new diagnosis and how the allergy manifests itself complicates diagnosis. His associate, Onyinye Iweala, adds, “It takes a really long time to even associate the ingestion of the mammal meat with the development of the allergic symptoms.”
Furthermore, diagnosis can be prohibitive in terms of time and cost, contributing to a potential health equity gap. Despite these challenges, reported cases of AGS are on the rise. From 2017 to 2022, over 90,000 suspected cases were documented, nearly three times the number documented between 2010 and 2018. This rise might also be attributed to an increase in the distribution and number of alpha-gal ticks themselves.
Public health officials have been diligent in raising awareness about AGS. While this potentially lifelong condition has no known cure, prevention is possible. According to CDC’s Johanna Salzer, “The big take home here for the public is that preventing tick bites not only protects them against infectious diseases but also against alpha-gal syndrome, which actually can have a more lifelong impact.”
The surge in AGS cases emphasizes the need for hypervigilant self-checks for ticks during outdoor activities, using tick repellents, and covering up to reduce skin exposure. As summer grilling season advances, the increasing prevalence of AGS serves as a potent reminder for Americans to be vigilant against tick bites. Protecting ourselves might not only safeguard against infectious diseases but also against an unwanted lifelong aversion to our favorite steaks and burgers.
