Hidden Danger: Ticks May Cause Life-Threatening Meat Allergy 

United States: As the experts note, tick bites tend to spread a condition that leads to allergic reactions in some types of meat. It has been reported that the reactions are disproportionately spreading among the people of southern states, where the ticks are quite prevalent. 

More about the news 

A West Kentucky official shared her experience that the county’s aggravating condition of rising tick counts has taken a toll on her and her family. 

According to paducahsun.com reports, the condition caused by a tick bite is called alpha-gal syndrome. It is named after the molecule that causes allergic reactions, and the understanding of it has yet to be fully developed. 

According to the researchers, cases in the US are generally produced from lone star ticks, although the mechanism by which alpha-gal is transmitted remains unknown. 

The Lyon County Judge Executive Jaime Smith added that she had no memory of the incident when a tick bit her. However, the alpha-gal syndrome had majorly affected her life on a daily basis. 

She said, “When I was diagnosed with it, I was like, OK, this is a life changer,” and, “This is totally different.” 

About the Symptoms 

As Smith explained, she first started the symptoms when she started noticing issues with her throat. Although she initially thought the reason was acid reflux, she began self-care by chewing gum and eating breath mints. 

Moreover, she kept noting everything she ate and made special mention of when the allergic reactions would occur, as paducahsun.com reported. 

Additionally, she kept a log of everything she ate, noting when the allergic reactions would occur. When Smith’s doctor saw her notes, she recommended testing for alpha-gal syndrome. 

Post diagnosis, Smith’s daily diet was asked to be changed completely by the doctor, which was earlier a completely meat-heavy diet. 

According to the experts, people with alpha-gal syndrome feel hives, throats swell, and even anaphylaxis post consumption of any meat from hooved mammals. 

As Smith added, “No beef, no lamb, no pork, no deer, no bison, none of that,” and, “We always say if it swims or flies, you’re good.” 

However, the severity of allergic reactions varies from case to case. Smith also added that cross-contamination in restaurants is a problem for several of those who suffer from alpha-gal syndrome, where some are even sensitive to animal products like dairy or gelatin. 

According to Dr. John Cecil, who is a primary care physician at Baptist Health Paducah, the condition, steadily dissipate for some affected people, particularly when they take struct care of avoiding allergic reactions and more of tick bites too. 

He also recommended that the affected and non-affected individuals must take special care to prevent the tick bites.