AI Generated Image
Life-threatening meat allergy caused by tick bites is on the rise. Here’s what you should know
WIBW • • health
Key Points:
- Alpha-gal syndrome is a life-threatening allergy to meat triggered by tick bites, causing symptoms like hives, diarrhea, and itchiness after consuming mammalian meat or dairy, but not seafood or poultry.
- The allergy results from the immune system reacting to alpha-gal sugar introduced into the bloodstream by tick bites, primarily from the lone star tick, whose range is expanding in the U.S.
- Diagnosis involves blood tests for alpha-gal antibodies combined with symptom evaluation, as tests alone can yield false positives; avoidance of mammalian meat and some animal byproducts is the main treatment.
- The FDA recently approved Xolair, an injectable drug that reduces severe allergic reactions in alpha-gal syndrome, marking the first drug specifically approved for this condition.
- The allergy may fade in some patients after several years, but preventing new tick bites is crucial; ongoing research aims to find additional therapies to manage or prevent the syndrome.
