Mysterious illness triggered by tick bite could affect thousands, yet many doctors are unaware of it
Fox News
Alpha-Gal Syndrome, a little-known, life-threatening food allergy triggered by tick bites, could be affecting hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S., the CDC warned in a new report.
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). Someone ate a steak dinner at night, then woke up at 2 a.m. having an anaphylactic reaction. "Some people only have gastroinestinal symptoms and others have more severe anaphylactic reactions." "The allergy itself does appear to resolve completely for many patients who can successfully avoid additional tick bites." Melissa Rudy is health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.
When people eat any foods containing the allergens, they can experience serious allergy symptoms within a few hours.