New studies have linked two new tick species to alpha-gal syndrome, a potentially fatal tick-borne allergic reaction that is also known as the red meat allergy.
What's happening?
A pair of recent research papers have, for the first time, identified black-legged ticks and western black-legged ticks as culprits in the spread of AGS, an allergic condition that can be passed on from ticks to humans via a bite.
West Virginia news station WTAP summarized the findings, including a case study of a Washington woman who developed the syndrome after being bitten by a western black-legged tick and another case study of a Maine woman who developed AGS after being bitten by a black-legged tick. It noted that both of these states were outside the range of the lone star tick, the species primarily associated with the spread of this disease in the United States.
"These are single case reports, so we believe that this probably is fairly rare, but it does happen," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention epidemiologist Johanna Salzer told the news agency. "So, just encouraging people that they should protect themselves against tick bites, whether that is a black-legged tick, or a lone star tick or western black-legged tick, is the main message here."
Why is alpha-gal syndrome concerning?
According to Yale Medicine, this condition makes people allergic to alpha-gal, a sugar found in meat derived from mammals such as beef or lamb. Alpha-gal can also be found in a variety of foods, medications, and medical products that are made from materials derived from mammals.
The allergic reaction generally occurs 3-6 hours after eating meat, dairy, or other products made from mammals, per Yale, and symptoms include hives or an itchy rash; constipation; diarrhea; cough; shortness of breath; a drop in blood pressure; and swelling of the lips, tongue, and eyelids.
However, the CDC says that many health care providers are unfamiliar with the condition, so affected people may not get tested. The agency estimates that as many as 450,000 Americans might have been affected by AGS.
The overheating planet with its warmer temperatures and milder winters is creating more ideal conditions for disease-spreading vectors such as ticks to expand their ranges and thrive. For instance, Montana authorities recently announced that one resident found a deer tick — a Lyme disease-carrying species that had not been previously documented in the state — on their dog. Lyme disease risk also doubled in the Canadian province of Québec and tripled in Manitoba between 2000 and 2015, according to one study.
What's being done about tick-borne diseases?
The best way to prevent tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease and the alpha-gal syndrome food allergy, is to avoid getting bitten by ticks. The CDC recommends reducing exposure and says that ticks are generally most active during warmer months.
The agency also advises taking actions including treating clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin; avoiding wooded and brushy areas with tall grass and leaf litter; walking in the center of trails; and inspecting gear, pets, and clothing for ticks when you return inside from being outdoors.
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