Anybody who has spent time in the woods or other wild surroundings is familiar with ticks, those blood-sucking arachnids that seek out creatures, including we humans, on which to feed. Most of us also know that ticks are carriers of numerous diseases, the most known being Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. However, many people are unaware of a recently recognized syndrome related to tick bites that can cause serious health conditions, including anaphylaxis and death. This condition is called alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), also known as red meat allergy or tick bite meat allergy. People who develop this condition show symptoms typically 3-4 hours after eating meat from mammals (beef, pork, venison, mutton, etc.). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms can include:
Some people with higher sensitivity may also have a reaction after eating milk and milk products or products containing gelatin. Most people who develop AGS had no previous allergic reactions to these products, and the development of the syndrome is sudden. Development of AGS occurs after being bitten by one or more lone star ticks, although other tick species may be involved as well. The exact mechanism by which tick bites cause this syndrome to develop in the human body is not completely understood and is still being studied.
In addition to North America, AGS has been identified in parts of Europe, Australia, Asia, South Africa, and South and Central America. Based on studies of antibody tests, cases in the United States are found predominantly in counties within the southern, midwestern, and mid-Atlantic U.S.
Not only is AGS not well known by the public, but it appears that it is still poorly known among health care
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