some people develop a food allergy with potential
anaphylaxis some months after a
tick bite
aka alpha-gal syndrome
the allergy is to a sugar, galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-gal), which is found in mammalian red meat other than Old World monkeys, apes and humans
it is thought that 1-20% of the population have been sensitized and has at least low levels of α-gal antibodies
the allergic reaction however, is delayed 3-8 hours after eating the red meat as the sugar needs to be released from the meat during digestion
60% of those with MMA develop severe allergic reactions which could be life threatening
10% of people who develop MMA also develop allergy to gelatin or dairy products creating a serious dietary management issue
Australia has the highest prevalence of MMA in the world which is presumably related to bites from the paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus)
in the USA, the allergy most often occurs in the central and southern regions, which corresponds to the distribution of the lone star tick
from 2010-2023, 100,000 to 450,000 in the US have developed allergies to mammalian meat
4% of cases have been in the eastern end of New York’s Long Island
recent research also suggests that people with α-gal antibodies appear to have increased levels of arterial plaques and thus may be at risk of
atherosclerosis