OHIO — Many Ohioans know a bite from a deer tick can cause Lyme disease, but there’s another kind of tick bite that’s causing a surprising allergy.
“As lone star ticks expand their range further and further north, red meat allergy is moving right along with it,” said Afsoon Sabet, an entomologist with The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Sabet said bites from the lone star tick can cause an allergy known as alpha-gal syndrome. It’s not a disease like a bacteria or a virus.
It’s a sensitivity to the alpha-gal molecule found in most red-blooded animals like cows, pigs, deer and rabbits, as well as their byproducts like milk and cheese.
The syndrome is characterized by a delayed allergic response.
“Four to six hours approximately after consuming a product that has alpha-gal, the alpha-gal molecule in it, you may develop some allergic response,” Sabet said.
“By the time that we got home, I was head to toe hives, and I’m sitting in the bathtub with my wife dumping ice over top of me,” said Kevin Chase, who developed alpha-gal syndrome after a tick bite.
He said he had a reaction several hours after he said he overdid it at a meat buffet.
“We were asking questions like, ‘Did we change our laundry detergent? What other thing I could possibly be allergic to?’ Without even thinking it could possibly be related to this tick bite, you know, a couple weeks ago,” Chase said.
Symptoms can vary from gastrointestinal issues to trouble breathing or anaphylactic shock.
Sabet said it’s important to see your doctor and get tested if you suspect you have it.
Experts believe the rise in lone star ticks is due in part to the white-tailed deer expansion.
The tick is easy to identify as the females have a big white dot in the middle of their backs. The males have smaller white dots.
People with alpha-gal syndrome may also have to give up gelatin, which is a meat byproduct. It’s found in numerous candies like gummies, marshmallow and fruit snacks.