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First US Death from Tick-Bite Meat Allergy Documented
The 47-year-old man’s fatal allergic reaction followed a tick bite causing alpha-gal syndrome, a condition now affecting up to 450,000 Americans, researchers said.
- In September 2024, researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine reported that a 47-year-old New Jersey man died after falling ill four hours following a hamburger at a barbecue, marking the first known U.S. death from tick-bite meat allergy.
- Mechanistically, when ticks feed on mammals they transfer alpha-gal, a sugar in mammal blood that can trigger delayed red-meat allergy, most cases linked to the lone star tick, researchers say.
- Medical evidence tied to the case includes blood testing showing alpha-gal antibodies linked to fatal anaphylaxis, the autopsy ruled sudden and unexplained, and the man's son found him unconscious surrounded by vomit.
- Researchers say this case highlights a mounting threat as lone star ticks and white-tailed deer migrate; the CDC reported more than 110,000 suspected cases, with 42% of health care providers unaware and no vaccine available.
- Experts note that exercise and alcohol increase allergy absorption, and Thangamani advised that `We can't reduce the tick exposure, but if we can remove the tick as soon as we come from an outdoor activity, we essentially eliminate a lot of issues that arise after a tick bite.
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First documented alpha-gal syndrome fatality from mammalian meat reported
Researchers have documented the first fatality due to alpha-gal syndrome after consumption of mammalian meat, according to data published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. Yet there have been other fatalities due to alpha-gal in medical products, as well as other cases following mammalian meat consumption, suggesting a need for greater education among patients and
Lone star tick present on Staten Island linked to meat allergy death of New Jersey man
A 47-year-old New Jersey man is the first person known to have died of a meat allergy caused by the bite of a tick, according to a published report in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice."
·Richmond County, United States
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Total News Sources222
Leaning Left43Leaning Right19Center87Last UpdatedBias Distribution58% Center
Bias Distribution
- 58% of the sources are Center
58% Center
L 29%
C 58%
13%
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