Transcript:
Over the past decade, more than 100,000 people in the U.S. have developed an allergy to red meat triggered by the bite of a lone star tick.
Unlike most ticks, which passively wait for an animal to latch on to, lone star ticks can identify a potential host and quickly crawl toward them.
Thangamani: “I call them, like, a hunter tick.”
Saravanan Thangamani is director of the SUNY Center for Vector-Borne Diseases at Upstate Medical University in New York.
He says lone star tick saliva and red meat both contain a molecule called alpha-gal.
A tick bite can transfer alpha-gal into a person’s blood, which can trigger an immune response. After that, whenever that person is exposed to alpha-gal – like when they eat a burger or steak – it can cause an allergic reaction.
Symptoms can include hives, vomiting, and in rare cases, life-threatening anaphylaxis.
Lone star ticks thrive in warm areas and were traditionally found in southern states. But as the climate warms, their range is expanding.
Thangamani: “We are now seeing more lone star ticks in the Northeast United States as well.”
For example, cases of alpha-gal syndrome have spiked on Long Island.
So the prevalence of the aggressive hunters – and the risk of developing a red meat allergy – is on the rise.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media
