"Scientists have confirmed the first death linked to a severe meat allergy caused by a tick bite. The man, who died in 2024 after eating a burger, had alpha-gal syndrome, a disease triggered by tick bites that causes people to develop anaphylactic reactions to red meat and other animal-based products. The man's case was detailed in a paper published this week in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice."
"Alpha-gal syndrome causes allergic reactions to a sugar molecule in meat. It is unlike other food allergies, however, in that the reaction is often delayed: people can feel sick hours after eating meat, and the symptoms can be confused with food poisoning. It is most often caused by a lone star tick bite, although bites from other ticks can cause the syndrome. Scientists suspect that many people with alpha-gal syndrome may not know they have itin the man's case, it took scientists months"
A man died in 2024 after eating a burger due to alpha-gal syndrome causing a severe anaphylactic reaction. The man had experienced an allergic reaction to a steak two weeks earlier that was not recognized as anaphylaxis. Alpha-gal syndrome arises from immune sensitization to a sugar molecule in meat following tick bites, most commonly from the lone star tick. Reactions are often delayed by hours, which can cause symptoms to be mistaken for food poisoning. Many people with alpha-gal syndrome may be unaware of their condition, hindering diagnosis and timely treatment.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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