Meat allergy
There has been medical reports of delayed reaction to meat in which a person, after having had steak or meats (sausages,meatballs) will develop symptoms of anaphylaxis (hives, shortness of breath, swelling, low blood pressure). What is unusual is that the symptoms occur 3-6 hours after eating the meat. Usually food anaphylaxis occurs within minutes to an hour after eating the culprit food.
What is the trigger?
It turns out that these patients were actually sensitized to a component of mammalian meat after being bitten by ticks! After being bitten by the culprit tick, the person develops an IgE (allergic antibody) to a component in the tick’s saliva and gut that is also found in mammalian meat named alpha-gal (Galactose-α-1,3-galactose). In the United States of America, the tick responsible for this disease is the lone star tick. This same tick is also responsible for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
Is this condition only found in USA?
We now know that this condition can also be caused by being bitten by ticks found in other countries. Thus it is becoming a world wide phenomenon.
Here are the list of ticks that has been found to cause alpha gal
Patients who have IgE antibodies to alpha-gal with delayed allergic reaction to meats should avoid beef, pork or lamb. However, poultry such as chicken or turkey does not cause this problem. It is important to keep this condition in mind for unusual presentations of allergic reactions especially after having eaten red meat.
Proper evaluation by an Allergist Immunologist will help identify your diagnosis through a detailed history followed by appropriate blood tests. If you have a diagnosis of alpha-gal syndrome, you have to be aware that certain medications can also cause a reaction.
Studies suggests that avoidance of further tick bites can lead to resolution of the alpha gal syndrome. This is the good news, however we need more studies to determine if there are any other factors that can help accelerate recovery.
Information You Can Use:
- What It Is: Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS) causes delayed allergic reactions (3-6 hours after eating) to red meat like beef, pork, and lamb.
- Prevention: Avoid red meat (beef, pork, lamb). Poultry (chicken, turkey) is safe.
- Management: Avoid tick bites. Further research is needed to speed up recovery.
