PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A New Jersey man is the first person known to have died from a meat allergy triggered by the bite of a lone star tick.
According to researchers, the 47-year-old got violently sick last year after eating a steak during a camping trip. He recovered on his own and did not consult a doctor. A couple of weeks later, he died after eating a hamburger.
Researchers at the University of Virginia tested his blood and discovered that he had contracted alpha-gal syndrome.
“Recognizing the trigger can sometimes be difficult to start because the onset of the symptoms is so delayed from the exposure to the food,” said Dr. Manav Segal with Chestnut Hill Allergy and Asthma. “If the individual becomes allergic to that carbohydrate — alpha-gal — from that point forward, you can develop allergic reactions to red meats, which also contain alpha-gal.”
Segal said the carbohydrate is found in red meat like beef, lamb and pork. “And for really, really sensitive individuals, they can develop similar allergic reactions to milk and gelatin as well,” he noted.
The infection spreads to humans through lone star ticks, which Segal said are migrating north from the southeastern U.S.
There is no cure for the alpha-gal allergy. Segal urges those who are diagnosed to carry an EpiPen with them.