Free Republic

A death in New Jersey is now being called the first-ever linked to a meat allergy caused by a tick bite. Doctors say a 47-year-old man who passed away in the summer of last year had a severe reaction to a steak after spending a day in the outdoors. He became severely ill but recovered, so he thought nothing of it. Then, two weeks later, he died after eating a hamburger, according to officials. The allergy is known as "Alpha-gal syndrome." The allergy is caused by the bite of the Lone Star tick. According to University of Virginia Health, people...

Hours after savoring that perfectly grilled steak on a beautiful summer evening, your body turns traitor, declaring war on the very meal you just enjoyed. You begin to feel excruciating itchiness, pain or even swelling that can escalate to the point of requiring emergency care. The culprit isn’t food poisoning – it’s the fallout from a tick bite you may have gotten months earlier and didn’t even notice. This delayed allergic reaction is called alpha-gal syndrome. While it’s commonly called the “red meat allergy,” that nickname is misleading, because alpha-gal syndrome can cause strong reactions to many products, beyond just...

When a 56-year-old farm worker from just outside Kansas City in Missouri, US, began noticing a rash on his waist and arms within hours of chowing down on a hamburger seven years ago, he wasn't sure what to make of it. Like so many with alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), the path from tick bite to meat allergy wasn't a clear-cut one. The hives and rashes didn't always appear after a meal containing meat, after all. Or they could pop up several times in one week. There was a shortness of breath on rare occasions, but nothing so bad it warranted a...