Meat Allergy Cases Linked To Tick Bites Grow In NYC Region: CDC

NEW YORK CITY — New Yorkers living with a meat allergy triggered by tick bites is likely greater than official numbers suggest, according to a pair of studies released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As many as 10 out of every million New York City dwellers developed an allergy to red meat between 2010 and 2022 because of alpha-gal syndrome, or AGS, according to one study.

The study detected 110,000 AGS cases during that span, but also the true number of Americans who have developed the allergy may be closer to 450,000.

And New York City itself lies right outside one growing hotspot: Suffolk County, where 4 percent of all suspected cases nationwide were detected, according to the study.

"Persons with suspected AGS were predominantly located in areas where the lone star tick is known to be established or reported, particularly throughout Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and Suffolk County, New York," the study states.

The study hints that AGS could be the 10th most common food allergy in the country, Dr. Scott Commins, a University of North Carolina researcher who co-authored both papers, told The Associated Press.

The number of people testing positive for alpha-gal antibodies rose from about 13,000 in 2017 to 19,000 in 2022, according to one of the studies.

Scientists discovered in 2011 that the alpha-gal sugar could be spread through tick bites, tying it to the lone star tick, which is common in the southern and eastern United States, including the areas near New York City.

The increases are due in part to the expanding range of lone star ticks, but also because doctors are testing more for the antibody.

But many aren’t. In a survey of 1,500 health care workers last year, 78 percent said they had little or no knowledge of the syndrome, and only 5 percent said they felt very confident they could diagnose it.

Dr. Ann Carpenter, an epidemiologist and lead author of one of the papers, called alpha-gel syndrome “an important emerging health problem, with potentially severe health impacts that can last a lifetime for some patients.”

“It’s critical for clinicians to be aware of AGS, so they can properly evaluate, diagnose, and manage their patients and also educate them on tick-bite prevention to protect patients from developing this allergic condition,” Carpenter said in a news release announcing the studies.

Health officials said they aren’t aware of any confirmed deaths related to the allergy.

The AGS reaction occurs when an infected person eats beef, pork, venison or other meat from mammals — or ingests milk, gelatin or other mammal products. It’s not caused by a germ but by a sugar, alpha-gal, that is in meat from mammals — and in tick spit. When the sugar enters the body through the skin, it triggers an immune response and can lead to a severe allergic reaction.

People who have been infected usually notice symptoms within two and six hours after eating food or ingesting other products containing alpha-gal, including gelatin-coated medications.

Symptoms include hives or an itchy rash; nausea or vomiting; heartburn or indigestion; diarrhea; cough; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; drop in blood pressure; swelling of the lips, throat, tongue, or eyelids; dizziness or faintness; or severe stomach pain.

CDC officials urged anyone who thinks they may be infected to see a doctor or allergist and also emphasized the importance of preventing tick bites.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.