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A New Jersey man’s death is the first known to be linked to a tick-borne meat allergy, according to researchers at UVAHealth in Virginia.
The unidentified man, 47, reportedly died last summer four hours after eating a hamburger — just two weeks after a similar episode triggered by steak.
With the summer episode, the man experienced severe abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting after eating the steak, a UVAHealth press release detailed.
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The incident was initially reported as “sudden unexplained death,” until UVA Health’s Thomas Platts-Mills, M.D., Ph.D., determined that the man suffered a fatal allergic reaction.
The findings were published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.
The allergy, Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS) — also known as “red-meat allergy” or the “tick bite meat allergy” — is caused by the bite of the Lone Star tick, which is found primarily in Southeastern and Eastern states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The tick’s saliva contains a sugar molecule called alpha-gal, which is injected into the body with the bite. This triggers allergies to certain types of red meat (primarily pork, beef, rabbit, lamb or venison) or products made from mammals (including cheese, milk, other dairy products and gelatin).
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When people eat any foods containing the allergens, they can experience serious allergy symptoms within a few hours, although some may only have mild reactions.
Symptoms may include rash, nausea and vomiting after eating beef, pork or lamb, according to researchers. Some may also experience itchy or scaly skin; swelling of the lips, face, tongue and throat; and wheezing or shortness of breath, according to Mayo Clinic.
Although fatal anaphylaxis has been noted as a rare risk in severe cases, the New Jersey man’s death was the first to be attributed to the allergy.
Other factors that may have contributed to his severe reaction, according to Platts-Mills, include a beer he drank with his burger, his exposure to ragweed pollen and recent exercise.
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“The important information for the public is: First, that severe abdominal pain occurring three to five hours after eating beef, pork or lamb should be investigated as a possible episode of anaphylaxis; and, second, that tick bites that itch for more than a week or larvae of ticks often called ‘chiggers’ can induce or increase sensitization to mammalian-derived meat,” said Platts-Mills, former chief of UVA Health’s Division of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, in the release.
“On the other hand, most individuals who have mild to moderate episodes of hives can control symptoms with an appropriate diet.”
A diagnosis of AGS requires antibody testing and a clinical exam. Many patients face a long road to diagnosis — an average of seven years, according to Dr. Johanna Salzer, CDC epidemiologist and author of a 2023 report on AGS.
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“And to get diagnosed, they have to have access to an allergist,” Salzer previously told Fox News Digital. “For many people, there are barriers to get that level of treatment.”
When someone is diagnosed with AGS, the person may have it for a lifetime.
“However, for some people, if they remove the foods from their diet that can reactivate Alpha Gal syndrome, over time, their antibody levels may drop,” the expert said.
Currently, there is no treatment or cure for AGS — though physicians can help patients manage their symptoms.
“There are a number of things [that] healthcare providers can provide to alleviate symptoms depending on the patients’ individual reactions,” Salzer said.
“Those with more severe reactions are administered Epi-Pens in case they go into anaphylactic shock.”
Prevention tips
To protect against tick bites, Salzer recommends applying EPA-approved insect repellent — those containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD) or 2-undecanone — whenever going into an area where tick bites are a possibility.
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Wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks, along with avoiding grassy, brushy and wooded areas, can also help to prevent bites.
“When returning from an area that is known to have ticks, be sure to shower and do a very thorough check,” Salzer advised.
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Platts-Mills urged doctors and patients who live in areas where Lone Star ticks are common to be aware of the risk.
“More specifically, if they have unexpected episodes of severe abdominal pain occurring several hours after eating mammalian meat, they should be investigated for possible sensitization to the oligosaccharide alpha-gal,” he added.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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