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Her Rash Wouldn’t Go Away, and the Itch Was Ruining Her Life

Alpha-gal syndrome was first recognized in the early years of the 21st century when a physician noticed that allergic reactions to a chemotherapeutic drug containing galactose-α-1,3-galactose were much more common in the Southeast than in the rest of the country. That suggested an environmental trigger. Then in 2009, a group of allergy specialists at the University of Virginia noticed that some of their patients developed symptoms ranging from hives to anaphylaxis when they were exposed to alpha gal in mammalian meat. Two years later, the same group linked that allergy to bites from the lone star tick.

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  Update on Alpha-Gal Syndrome...

Alpha-gal syndrome is an emerging allergy first described in the early 2000s. The allergy can cause anaphylaxis, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, and skin changes one to several hours after ingestion of mammalian products. A GI phenotype that is increasingly recognized manifests with nonspecific symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting without predominant skin, respiratory or circulatory symptoms. Though the syndrome has been reported on all continents except Antarctica, in the United States most reports are within the range of the Lone Star tick, extending from New York and Iowa to Texas and Florida.

 What is behind the spread of a mysterious allergy to meat?

Thousands of people are developing life-threatening reactions to animal products – and a single tiny creature is to blame.

 What the Mystery of the Tick-Borne Meat Allergy Could Reveal

Unraveling why tick bites are suddenly causing a strange reaction in some people who eat meat could help scientists better understand how all allergies work.

Articles of Interest

A Tick Bite Made Them Allergic to Meat

A few months ago, Candice Matthis and Debbie Nichols sat down with their husbands to have some bacon. It was an unremarkable scene, except for two details. First, there were the EpiPens, which Matthis and Nichols both had ready in case of emergency. The two women can’t eat red meat, not after they were each diagnosed with a dangerous red-meat allergy that develops, oddly enough, after tick bites

Alpha-gal and Red Meat Allergy

An allergy to “alpha-gal” refers to having a severe and potentially life-threatening allergy to a carbohydrate molecule called galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose that is found in most mammalian or “red meat”. Unlike other food allergies which typically occur within minutes of ingestion, symptoms from eating red meat such as pork, lamb or beef may be delayed, occurring 3-8 hours after eating.

FDA approves genetically altering pigs, to potentially make food, drugs, and transplants safer

GalSafe pigs, named for their lack of detectable alpha-gal sugar, could potentially provide tissues and organs for patients without the danger of rejection caused by the presence of the sugar in cross-species procedures known as xenografts or xenotransplantation. Alpha-gal is considered a primary cause of rejection, Solomon said, but he was hesitant to say it is the only source.

I got Alpha-gal from a tick, and I’m a hunter

What the outdoor community needs to know about the red-meat allergy spread by ticks.

The alpha gal story: Lessons learned from connecting the dots

The characteristics of red meat allergy are different from typical allergic reactions. Common complaints include both gastrointestinal symptoms and urticaria, but unlike most allergic reactions, patients do not develop any symptoms for until after at least 2 hours after eating red meat, while many reactions are delayed for 3–5 hours or even longer. Nonetheless, symptoms can be severe or even life threatening. Many of the patients described nausea, diarrhea or indigestion before a reaction, however the most common symptom reported was itching.

The alpha-Gal syndrome: new insights into the tick-host conflict and cooperation

Humans do not synthesize the carbohydrate α-Gal, and therefore all the sources of α-Gal for the human body are from non-human origin. Consequently, humans can develop a potent immune response against this carbohydrate.

The Tick That Causes a Meat Allergy Is on the Move

The lone star tick can trigger an allergic reaction to red meat in those bitten. Now this arachnid’s territory is expanding.

Tick Saliva and the Alpha-Gal Syndrome: Finding a Needle in a Haystack

The discovery of AGS worldwide has opened a new avenue for making a connection between AGS patients and tick bites. It has provided insight into how bites from different tick species can induce IgE sensitization in humans. In a few countries,

Ticks Carry More Diseases Than Just Lyme. Here's What You Need to Know

One of the lingering mysteries of alpha-gal is why it takes a tick-bite to transmit the syndrome. If the sugar is present in mammal flesh, why don’t we contract the allergy simply by eating meat?

Ticks! Ick! The latest science on the red meat allergy caused by some tick bites

Scientists first connected the dots between red meat allergies and tick bites more than a decade ago, when they identified patients who got allergic reactions such as hives or anaphylaxis after eating beef or pork. Most had been bitten by Lone Star ticks.

Resources

Alpha-gal Information

The Alpha-gal Information website is one component of the Alpha-gal Syndrome Awareness Campaign, an effort to raise both the general public’s and healthcare providers’ awareness about AGS.

CDC

Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) (also called alpha-gal allergy, red meat allergy, or tick bite meat allergy) is a serious, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. AGS is not caused by an infection. AGS symptoms occur after people eat red meat or are exposed to other products containing alpha-gal.