Mysterious illness triggered by tick bite could affect thousands — but many doctors are unaware of itBy Melissa Rudy, Fox News
July 28, 2023
A little-known, life-threatening food allergy that is triggered by a tick bite could be affecting hundreds of thousands of people in the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on Thursday.
The condition is called Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS) — also known as the “red-meat allergy” or the “tick bite meat allergy.” It begins with a bite from the Lone Star tick, found primarily in Southeastern and Eastern states.
The tick’s saliva contains a sugar molecule called alpha-gal, which is injected into the body with the bite.
This triggers allergies to certain types of red meat(primarily pork, beef, rabbit, lamb or venison) or products made from mammals (including cheese, milk, other dairy products and gelatin).
When people eat any foods containing the allergens, they can experience serious allergy symptoms within a few hours.
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Source:
https://nypost.com/2023/07/28/mystery-illness-from-tick-bites-leads-to-rare-red-meat-allergy/