Alpha-gal syndrome: Tick-induced red meat allergy may be caused by other species
Alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy caused by a bite from the lone star tick, may also be triggered by the deer tick and the western black-legged tick.
It’s rare, but in some cases a tick bite can cause a person to develop an allergy to red meat.
Most cases, scientists believe, are linked to the lone star tick, a species typically found in the Southeastern U.S. and the lower Midwest.
Two case reports published this week, however, suggest that two other species — found elsewhere in the country — may also trigger the allergy.
When ticks bite, they release a steady stream of saliva that contains chemicals that keep their victim’s blood flowing as they feed. Sometimes, the saliva contains a sugar molecule called alpha-gal. Alpha-gal syndrome, a reaction to the molecule that occurs in some people, causes a red meat allergy.
“Alpha-gal syndrome is relatively rare, but those who have it can have a full-on anaphylactic shock,” said Douglas Norris, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
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