Tick-Related Meat Allergy Claims Its First Fatality in US

Researchers have documented the first known fatality from a red meat allergy that's caused by a tick bite. The case involves a 47-year-old airline pilot from New Jersey whose mysterious death last September puzzled doctors until blood tests revealed a severe allergic reaction tied to alpha-gal syndrome, reports NBC News. The man, who had no history of serious health issues, had fallen ill with severe gastrointestinal symptoms after eating steak during a family camping trip two weeks before he died, but recovered and did not seek medical attention at the time. On the day of his death, he felt unwell about four hours after eating a hamburger, and was later found unconscious at home.

Researchers say the man's blood had an extremely high level of allergy markers. "The level he had is basically only seen in fatal cases of anaphylaxis," says Dr. Thomas Platts-Mills, who discovered the syndrome and diagnosed the New Jersey case. "His level was 2,000. The highest level I've seen in practice of a person who survived is 100." Platts-Mills and other researchers described the case in a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in Practice. Alpha-gal syndrome is caused by antibodies to a sugar molecule found in red meat, transmitted to humans via tick bites, most commonly from the lone star tick. Symptoms can include nausea, hives, and difficulty breathing hours after eating red meat.

Platts-Mills, an allergist and immunologist at the University of Virginia, says the man's family said he was bitten more than a dozen times by "chiggers" during a camping trip—but the bites were actually from baby lone star ticks, which are about the size of a grain of sand, CNN reports. The condition is becoming more common as the lone star tick expands its range, aided by warmer winters and growing deer populations. Despite the rise in cases, many doctors are still unfamiliar with the syndrome, complicating diagnosis and treatment. Researchers say hundreds of thousands of people probably have the allergy and don't know it.

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Allergy immunology specialist Dr. Scott Commins tells NBC that two big risk factors for severe reaction are exercise and alcohol, which increase allergen absorption. The New Jersey man mowed the lawn and drank a beer on the day of his death. Commins says people, especially those who spend a lot of time outside, should be aware of the syndrome and look out for symptoms. "When someone has a tick bite, we just ask them to be mindful about stomach upset or itching or hives that might occur three to six hours after eating either red meat or maybe some high-fat dairy like ice cream or milkshakes," he says.