Doctors around Cincinnati are sounding the alarm about a rare but potentially life-threatening meat allergy tied to tick bites that appears to be showing up more often. The condition, known as alpha-gal syndrome, can trigger serious reactions hours after someone eats beef, pork, lamb, or other mammal meat, and in severe cases, it can send patients straight to the emergency room.
Federal researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that as many as 450,000 Americans may have been affected since 2010, based on laboratory and surveillance data. Public health experts say the rise likely reflects both more testing and the expanding territory of the tick that carries the alpha gal molecule.
Symptoms often sneak up hours after a burger or steak dinner and can include hives, itching, diarrhea , dizziness, and swelling of the lips, throat, tongue, or eyelids, according to Local 12. Alpha gal researcher Scott Commins cautioned that the blood test used to screen for alpha gal antibodies is far from perfect, noting that in allergy medicine, there is a lot of trouble with false positives on blood tests.
How Doctors Treat It
For people who test positive and have consistent symptoms, treatment usually starts with one big lifestyle change: avoiding mammalian meats. Clinicians also typically recommend that patients carry an epinephrine auto-injector for emergencies in case of a severe reaction after an unexpected exposure…