New York Is a Hot Spot for Alpha-Gal. Why Doesn’t the State Track Cases?
The New York Times • • health
Key Points:
- In 2023, federal health authorities identified several U.S. states, including Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and a county in Virginia, as hot spots for alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to red meat triggered by tick bites.
- Arkansas, Kentucky, and Virginia now require mandatory reporting of positive alpha-gal blood tests, while Missouri is considering similar legislation to monitor the condition's prevalence.
- Despite evidence that Long Island, New York, is a significant hot spot for alpha-gal syndrome, New York State has not implemented measures to track or study the rising incidence of the condition.
- Advocates, including Sharon Forsyth, criticize New York's lack of data collection on alpha-gal cases, calling it "completely outrageous" given the state's resources and the syndrome's prevalence.
