Health officials in Arkansas are warning residents about a little-known and potentially life-threatening tick-borne illness.
What's happening?
Alpha-gal syndrome is a tick-borne illness that causes a severe allergy to red meat. It's been on the rise in the U.S. in recent years, and Arkansas reported 330 confirmed or probable cases in 2024.
40/29 News talked to a few Arkansans dealing with AGS who now have to adhere to strict diets to avoid allergic reactions.
"This is a kind of a newer diagnosis and kind of newer trend; there are no cures yet," Daniel Maechler, a nurse practitioner with Mercy Primary Care in Fort Smith, told the station. "We just have symptomatic management right now."
Why is alpha-gal syndrome concerning?
Alpha-gal is spread by the Lone Star tick, and the number of suspected cases in the U.S. has increased substantially since 2010, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One reason for this spike is milder winters with fewer consecutive cold days, which is allowing tick populations to grow and survive, WKU Public Radio reported. At the same time, many tick species are growing their range as more northern areas become more habitable. In fact, one study found that Lyme disease risk doubled in the Canadian province of Quebec and tripled in Manitoba between 2000 and 2015.
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What's being done about tick-borne diseases?
The best way to avoid tick-borne diseases is to fight the bite. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages people to walk in the middle of trails to avoid these tiny external parasites and keep legs covered. Spraying footwear, clothing, and camping gear with insecticide that includes 0.5% permethrin can also help.
Scientists are also developing a tick-repelling drug for humans that works similarly to the chewable tablets we give our dogs.
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