Transcript:

Over the past decade, more than 100,000 people in the U.S. have developed an allergy to red meat triggered by the bite of a lone star tick.

Unlike most ticks, which passively wait for an animal to latch on to, lone star ticks can identify a potential host and quickly crawl toward them.

Thangamani: “I call them, like, a hunter tick.”

Saravanan Thangamani is director of the SUNY Center for Vector-Borne Diseases at Upstate Medical University in New York.

He says lone star tick saliva and red meat both contain a molecule called alpha-gal.

A tick bite can transfer alpha-gal into a person’s blood, which can trigger an immune response. After that, whenever that person is exposed to alpha-gal – like when they eat a burger or steak – it can cause an allergic reaction.

Symptoms can include hives, vomiting, and in rare cases, life-threatening anaphylaxis.

Lone star ticks thrive in warm areas and were traditionally found in southern states. But as the climate warms, their range is expanding.

Thangamani: “We are now seeing more lone star ticks in the Northeast United States as well.”

For example, cases of alpha-gal syndrome have spiked on Long Island.

So the prevalence of the aggressive hunters – and the risk of developing a red meat allergy – is on the rise.

Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media