New Jersey man dies from red meat allergy caused by tick : NPR

Researchers say they believe they have documented the first known death from alpha gal syndrome – an allergy to red meat caused by tick bites.

Findings from a study by researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine published in the journal Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. A 47-year-old airplane pilot in New Jersey fell ill four hours after eating a hamburger at a barbecue in 2024, the report said. The man's son found him unconscious on the bathroom floor, surrounded by vomit. The man was pronounced dead at the hospital. An autopsy determined “sudden unexplained death.”

Two weeks before his death, a man became ill a few hours after eating a steak dinner: he woke up with abdominal discomfort, writhing in pain, and had diarrhea and vomiting. “I thought I was going to die,” he told his son. But the man and his wife decided not to see a doctor, saying they didn’t know how to explain what happened.

A blood sample taken after the man's death showed he had suffered an allergic reaction. His wife said that earlier that summer he had 12 or 13 “chiggers,” or tiny tick larvae, bites around his ankles that left small itchy bumps. But scientists believe the bites were actually caused by lone star tick larvae, which can cause alpha gal syndrome.

What is alpha-gal syndrome?

Alpha-gal syndrome is a tick-borne disease that causes an allergy to red meat.

Alpha gal is a sugar molecule found in mammals such as cows, pigs and lambs. It is also found in the saliva of some ticks. Humans do not produce this molecule, so when a tick transmits it, alpha-gal can cause a hives-like rash or an anaphylactic reaction about 2 to 6 hours after a person eats the meat.

“It looks like he's trying to fight,” said Saravanan Thangamani, director of the SUNY Center for Vector-Borne Diseases at Upstate Medical University. “This is a foreign body. But essentially what we end up with is anaphylactic shock or an allergy.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said more than 110,000 suspected cases were identified between 2010 and 2022. But the CDC said the number of cases is likely higher, with up to 450,000 people affected, because many people are unaware of the allergy and require a diagnostic test.

IN report published in July 2023, the CDC stated that 42% of healthcare professionals surveyed had never heard of the disease.

The American Gastroenterological Association advises people with unexplained diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain to get tested for alpha-gal syndrome.

In the United States, alpha-gal syndrome is primarily associated with lone star ticks, according to the CDC. Most reported cases occur in the southern, eastern and central states where lone star ticks are common.

Thangamani, who runs the Upstate Tick Testing Laboratory in New York, said the number of lone star tick encounters in that state sent to his lab has doubled since 2024. And he notes the trend of lone star ticks migrating north.

“In 2023, we received ticks from seven counties in New York State that had isolated tick incidents,” Thangamani said. “This year we have about 15 districts. In addition to increasing their numbers, they are also expanding in geographic range, so this is a concern.”

How can I protect myself?

There is no vaccine to prevent alpha-gal syndrome. Once infected, doctors recommend that patients change their diet and avoid eating meat such as beef, pork, lamb, venison or rabbit.

Thangamani said preventing tick bites is key to preventing tick-borne diseases. This includes wearing repellents such as DEET, protective clothing, and avoiding tick areas.

If you are bitten by a tick, remove it as quickly as possible and store it in a plastic bag. This way, doctors could determine what kind of tick it was and even test it for disease.

“We can't reduce the impact of a tick, but if we can remove the tick immediately after an outdoor activity, we essentially eliminate a lot of the problems that occur after a tick bite,” Thangamani said.