Alpha-gal differs from most known food allergies. The reaction does not occur immediately after eating, but often three to five hours later.
This makes it difficult for both patients and doctors to identify the connection.
The allergy develops when the immune system reacts to the sugar molecule alpha-gal, which is found in meat from mammals such as beef, pork, and lamb.
According to researchers behind a study from the University of Virginia Health System, published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, sensitivity typically increases after bites from the Lone Star tick.
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In the United States, the tick has become more widespread, partly due to growing deer populations.
The allergy is also known in Europe, but it is still considered rare and is not always taken into account during diagnosis.
Challenges for the healthcare system
The delayed reaction makes the allergy difficult to detect.
Symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are often associated with gastrointestinal problems rather than a life-threatening allergic reaction.
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Thomas Platts-Mills, a UVA Health physician and internationally recognized allergy specialist, told Science Daily that severe abdominal pain occurring several hours after consuming red meat should be investigated as possible anaphylaxis.
The researchers also note that certain factors can worsen the reaction. Alcohol, physical activity, and simultaneous exposure to pollen may play a role.
However, there is still limited knowledge about why some people are more severely affected than others.
A serious example
The study is based in part on the death of a 47-year-old man from New Jersey. He died suddenly after eating beef in a burger.
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An autopsy initially provided no clear explanation, but blood tests later showed a severe allergic reaction to alpha-gal.
The case thus became the first officially confirmed death of its kind.
The researchers behind the study point out that the case underscores the need for greater awareness of the allergy as ticks continue to spread.
Sources: Science Daily, and Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.
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