Move over Lyme disease, there is a new tick borne illness in town - an allergic reaction to beef.
According to a new report from ABC News, a single bite from a lone star tick may trigger the allergy.
Photo ©James Gathany/CDC
A dorsal view of a female lone star tick.
Researchers at the University of Virginia began to look into the ticks after the allergy began to spread along the East Coast, where lone star ticks are prevalent. The researchers noted that they have seen 400 cases of the meat allergy, mostly in Virginia, with 90% of the patients reporting a history of tick bites.
Alpha-gal antibodies, found in red meat, increase after a bite from a long star tick. Several hours after eating beef, patients with the allergy will have a reaction and develop hives, and could even go into anaphylactic shock.
The news report noted that author John Grisham, who has a plantation in Virginia, is believed to have developed the allergy.