Posted on 08/22/2025 12:05:23 PM PDT by bitt
A bizarre, life-threatening tick-borne illness has made hundreds residents of Martha’s Vineyard allergic to red meat and dairy — turning many of them into forced vegans and “social pariahs” at the height of BBQ season on the ritzy island.
Skyrocketing cases of alpha-gal syndrome — a disease spread by bites from the Lone Star Tick— have ripped through the scenic summer hotspot with a total of 523 reported last year, according to the Times of London.
“I woke up at 2 a.m. with major stomach cramps and thought I had food poisoning,” said Andrew Keenan, a 58-year-old former chef, who had eaten skirt steak several hours before.
“I managed to go back to sleep but woke up four hours later and was covered in hives. I sat up in bed and almost fainted just from sitting up, that’s how low my blood pressure was,” he said of the meal in 2020 that triggered anaphylactic shock.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
probably not, as an allergen , not a toxin. Still Lone star ticks known for a long time, this never previously identified.
probably not, as an allergen , not a toxin. Still Lone star ticks known for a long time, this never previously identified.
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Ticks are everywhere there are dogs, cats or squirrels.......................
My clock keeps me awake at night sometimes
Well, they’re in the wild up there. When walking in wild grass you can see them at the tops of grass stalks. They sit at the top and wave their front legs in the air waiting for an animal to come by to attach to.
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