People Are Being Bitten By Ticks That Cause Permanent Meat And Dairy Allergies — And They’re Spreading

One of the best things about the summer is that you get to spend more time outside, enjoying the beautiful weather and feeling refreshed by nature. Unfortunately, that comes with a major downside: bugs. The summer is the season you’re most at risk for getting bug bites that could lead to annoying, and in some cases even deadly, illnesses. While we always worry about mosquitos spreading things like West Nile Virus or tick bites infecting people with Lyme disease, there’s something new (and quite unique) to stress over this year. People are being bitten by ticks that cause meat allergies. This means that if you get bitten by a particular tick, you might never be able to enjoy bacon again.

Although this might sound like something straight out of a science fiction novel, it’s very real — and it’s a problem. The tick in question is called the Lone Star tick, and one bite could render you allergic to meat for, well, pretty much forever. Once only found in the Southeast United States, the tick is on the move, and can now be found in almost every state in the Eastern U.S., from Texas all the way up to Maine.

This clearly isn’t your ordinary tick, for a few reasons. For one thing, the Lone Star tick does not spread Lyme disease, as so many other ticks do. That’s good news!

But the bad news is that, along with the meat allergy, it causes a dangerous rash and a slew of other unpleasant symptoms.

The Lone Star tick was first found in the Southeast, but its range has expanded as far north as Maine and west into Texas.

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— OMGFacts (@OMGFacts) June 25, 2018

Secondly, the Lone Star tick is the most aggressive tick known to man. It doesn’t just hang out in the woods, waiting to find itself a body to feast on. No, this little guy actively seeks out a host. Like other ticks, though, you can find these in wooded areas, near bodies of water where animals feed, and in humid climates.

The Lone Star tick can be identified by its unique markings. Like many ticks, they are very tiny, hard to see, and have a round body with a hard outer shell. These guys also have a white dot in the center of their backs, which looks similar to a star (hence the name).

As for the meat allergy? Unfortunately, researchers don’t know enough about it just yet. Dr. Scott Commins, an associate professor of medicine, told USA Today, “It’s not the classic ‘my throat is closing when I eat peanut butter reaction. These [patients] would get hives and talk about G.I. distress, or needing to go to the bathroom, and itching and swelling. Some would have to go to the ER to get treated.” Of course, the reaction can be different for everyone.

Researchers believe that the Lone Star tick is triggering an allergy to a sugar molecule called alpha-gal.

Alpha-gal is found in red meat, and humans don’t make it. Something in the tick’s saliva is making our immune systems react to alpha-gal as an invader. One bite can cause the allergy, and researchers don’t know how to prevent or get rid of it. For some people, the bite can also trigger an allergy to dairy products.

Again, Lone Star ticks don’t spread Lyme disease, but they do cause a nasty rash. If you’re bitten by a Lone Star tick, you’ll notice a red rash on your skin. This is called Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness, also known as STARI. It has symptoms that are similar to Lyme disease. The rash appears as a bullseye with a large red outer ring, a white inside, and a dot where the bite was. It can sometimes cause fatigue, headache, fever, and muscle pains.

Oh, and one more thing? These ticks and their bites are on the rise, increasing dramatically in the last few years. And while a meat allergy might not be as severe as Lyme disease, but it’s also probably not something you want.

 

While it can be difficult to prevent ticks from getting on you, remember to cover up when you’re outside and to always check yourself (and your furry friends!) for bugs if you’ve been in a heavily wooded area.