Although summer is drawing to a close, those of us in the South know that summer goes on and on, and Autumn can feel a lot like summer — so can parts of winter and spring. As such, it seems there are always bugs around. We learned this painful lesson in our log house, when it seemed that every new season brought a new, and different, infestation that seemed a little like a series of biblical plagues (ranging from ladybugs to scorpions!).
Speaking of insects, it turns out there’s a very interesting disease that has been identified in relation to the bite of the lone star tick. This tick causes those who are bitten to have an allergy … to a type of sugar. The sugar is called “alpha gal,” or “galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose.” The condition is called “alpha-gal syndrome.” In fact, this allergic reaction can be extremely dangerous — even life-threatening.
Some who are bitten will develop reactions to that sugar. The problem is, this isn’t just any sugar. It’s a sugar found in the meat of mammals. (Talk about a Southern nightmare! Imagine church picnics with no red meat.) To be specific, that means the meat of pigs, cattle, deer, rabbits, squirrels, goats and lambs.
Later, after the bite, victims who eat mammalian meat will develop mild to severe allergic reactions, with symptoms ranging from itching and hives all the way to the airway swelling and low blood pressure that come with full-blown anaphylaxis.
The lone star tick can be found in many areas of the United States. In fact, estimates from the CDC suggests that alpha-gal syndrome has been found in around 100,000 U.S. citizens in the last decade.
Two points are important here. One, it’s wise to be very careful of tick exposure. This includes using insect repellent, staying out of thick grass and brush, and wearing appropriate clothes. With hunting season upon us, this advice is especially important. Second, people who have unexplained allergic symptoms might want to consider this possibility and discuss it with their physicians.
I always thought that Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever were scary enough. Recently, I even saw a case of what’s called “tick paralysis.” However, a tick that makes me allergic to meat? Well, this sure means that evil exists, if you ask me.
Here’s a link to a CDC discussion of the topic: https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/alpha-gal/index.html.