It’s not an overreaction - this tick can actually make you allergic to red meat.
Named Lone Star tick due to the Texas-shaped marking on its back, the bite of this unusual tick causes your immune system to be reprogrammed, which can lead to a series of complications - most notably, the allergy to red meat.
This particular tick is most common in the Southeast, but it recently has been spreading over the United States.
Because of its size and lifestyle, ticks can hitch a ride on luggage, pets, clothes, and travelers. They can survive from 1 to 3 days without feeding, given the right conditions.
This is how the allergy works:
Alpha-Gal is a carbohydrate present in most mammals, excluding primates and humans. For us, Alpha-Gal is treated as a foreign body.
When the tick bites, it has probably already fed on other mammals (most commonly cows or pigs) and now carries Alpha-Gal.
The bite injects Alpha-Gal into your system - your body doesn’t like and releases antibodies to fight it.
With the Alpha-Gal antibodies in action, eating mammalian meat will now trigger the release of histamine - the compound that causes allergic reactions from eating something you shouldn’t have.
This happens because your body has just raised war against Alpha-Gal - and red meat contains that very thing.
What will happen if I get bit?
After a few hours (3-10) you will feel the initial symptoms, usually:
- Weakness
- Nausea
- Vomit
- Diarrhea
- Respiratory complications
- Body itching
- Hives
- Upset stomach
- Low blood pressure
- Anaphylaxis
For some patients already suffering with other conditions (like asthma) an immediate trip to the hospital will be necessary.
Fortunately, if treated quickly, these symptoms can be eradicated.
“It often takes repeated allergic reactions for people to link their diet to their outbreak. Repeated exposure to tick bites can also worsen the severity of a reaction.” - National Geographic
Will I have to become vegetarian if this tick bites me?
No. Only mammalian meat contains Alpha-Gal.
Avoid all raw or cooked cow, lamb, pork, beef, bacon, rabbit, kangaroo, goat, venison, buffalo, and ham.
In most cases you can still eat fish and poultry. For example, all of these are good to go: chicken, turkey, duck, molluscs, tuna, and salmon.
But you will have to watch your diet more closely, even if you are already a vegetarian.
Dairy products, gelatin, protein powder, whey, and some medications may contain small amounts of alpha-gal, which could be enough to trigger an allergic reaction.
Other mammalian products such as milk and cheese can also cause reactions.
For safety, always be wary of these products and cease intake whenever you have a reaction.
Can it be cured?
No, but the allergy tends to disappear after a period of time - as long as the patient isn’t bitten again.
Unfortunately, these periods of time vary greatly, lasting anywhere from five months to five years.
There is currently no consistent basis to determine why some patients take longer than others - interestingly, a small portion of patients doesn’t develop the allergy at all.
Despite the complications, most people can live a normal life with an altered diet (avoiding mammalian meat) and careful observation.
How do I protect myself from the Lone Star tick?
Like you would from any other tick:
Simply using a lint roller to roll over your clothes regularly and taking advantage of essential oils goes a long way.
You can use these against ticks:
- Lavender
- Pennyroyal
- Lemongrass
- Eucalyptus
- Lemon
Ticks can also transmit lyme disease and other troublesome conditions, so you can never be too careful.
Read more on how to stop ticks before they get you!
