Posted on Jun 15, 2022
Patients report tick-related red meat allergy as Missouri summers heat up
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A red meat allergy is on the rise in the St. Louis region as tick season becomes longer and hotter in the Midwest.
Doctors say more people in the area are being diagnosed with “alpha-gal” syndrome, which can cause a severe allergic reaction to red meat.
The syndrome appears to be common in those who have had tick bites, although researchers are still studying exactly what causes the allergy, said Dr. Maya Jareth, an allergist and immunologist at Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Some people, after being bit by a tick, report a sudden aversion to meat from cows, pigs and other mammals.
“The number of patients we're diagnosing is going up,” Jareth said. “The number of ticks is increasing, potentially due to hotter summers, longer summers. But then also the range of this lone star tick is moving west and north. So it's actually expanding.”
The map of incidence of the syndrome throughout the United States matches up almost perfectly with the map of the lone star tick’s range, in the Southeastern and Midwestern parts of the country, she said.
Doctors say more people in the area are being diagnosed with “alpha-gal” syndrome, which can cause a severe allergic reaction to red meat.
The syndrome appears to be common in those who have had tick bites, although researchers are still studying exactly what causes the allergy, said Dr. Maya Jareth, an allergist and immunologist at Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Some people, after being bit by a tick, report a sudden aversion to meat from cows, pigs and other mammals.
“The number of patients we're diagnosing is going up,” Jareth said. “The number of ticks is increasing, potentially due to hotter summers, longer summers. But then also the range of this lone star tick is moving west and north. So it's actually expanding.”
The map of incidence of the syndrome throughout the United States matches up almost perfectly with the map of the lone star tick’s range, in the Southeastern and Midwestern parts of the country, she said.
Patients report tick-related red meat allergy as Missouri summers heat up
Posted from news.stlpublicradio.org
St. Louis
Food/Chow
Health
Posted 2 y ago
Responses: 3
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Is it a real allergy, or excuse for not being able to afford red meat?
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SFC (Join to see)
Obviously it's a real allergy...this is not the first I've heard about this either.
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There is a friend of mines son here that almost died one night after eating hamburgers. He had no idea and they rushed him to the hospital as he was going into anaphalactic shock. After some tests and some questioning they determined it was this from a tick bite years before. All that time he had been eating steaks, hamburgers, chili, spaghetti and meatballs and then one day bam it took effect.
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
Strange, but I had a Major who worked for me who had Bell's Palsy that was diagnosed from something that happened to him years ago.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Alpha gal is just one tick-related illness that’s seeing an increase as tick habitats become more widespread. Missouri researchers have found the tick season is getting longer, wetter and hotter and different species — including the lone star tick — are moving farther north from their historic habitats in the Southeast.
There’s no treatment for the syndrome other than avoiding red meat, doctors say.
The best way to steer clear of alpha gal syndrome is by avoiding tick bites in the first place, Jareth said. That means wearing long pants and sleeves in the woods, showering right after nature excursions and doing regular tick checks after outdoor adventures."
..."Alpha gal is just one tick-related illness that’s seeing an increase as tick habitats become more widespread. Missouri researchers have found the tick season is getting longer, wetter and hotter and different species — including the lone star tick — are moving farther north from their historic habitats in the Southeast.
There’s no treatment for the syndrome other than avoiding red meat, doctors say.
The best way to steer clear of alpha gal syndrome is by avoiding tick bites in the first place, Jareth said. That means wearing long pants and sleeves in the woods, showering right after nature excursions and doing regular tick checks after outdoor adventures."
(1)
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