THE NEW YORK POST – New cases of alpha-gal syndrome — a rare but potentially life-threatening illness that makes people violently allergic to red meat — suggest that more tick species may be to blame than initially thought.
Neither of the two new female patients — one a 45-year-old in Maine and the other a 61-year-old in Washington — had been in areas where the lone star tick is commonly found.
Scientists consider these human biters the main AGS culprit, but these new cases shift the blame to deer and western black-legged ticks.
AGS is a serious allergic reaction triggered by a sugar molecule called alpha-gal, which is found in most mammalian meat.
When certain ticks bite humans, they can transfer alpha-gal into the bloodstream, causing their victims to develop a severe response to red meat consumption.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that up to 450,000 people in the US have alpha-gal syndrome. Cases have been increasing since 2010, according to the agency.
New Jersey native Craig Smith, 62, is allergic to red meat after getting bitten by the invasive lone star tick — which has left him unable to eat steak, burgers, or even dairy products without suffering a serious reaction.
The best way to prevent yourself from developing AGS is to take precautionary measures against tick bites …
