Cases of alpha gal syndrome caused by tick bites on the rise, CDC reports
For many Americans, the warmer spring and summer months bring backyard barbecues and scenic hikes — along with a chorus of cicadas, mosquitoes galore, and hypervigilant self-checks for ticks. Often, insect bites only cause mild discomfort but new reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that a food allergy caused by ticks is on the rise in the U.S. — and a lot of healthcare providers still don’t even know it exists.
The allergy in question is alpha gal syndrome (AGS), and those who have it are allergic to the sugar galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, or alpha gal for short. Alpha gal is found in many mammalian food products — like beef, pork, and dairy — but also in the saliva of some ticks. If bitten by such a tick, our body’s immune system could produce a specific antibody to recognize alpha gal called IgE. Long after the tick bite subsides however, IgE still floats around, ready to alert our immune system to future alpha gal intruders, including any alpha gal that we eat. Unfortunately, there are no cures or treatments for the condition, and allergies often last for years.
Read Original Article: Cases of alpha gal syndrome caused by tick bites on the rise, CDC reports »
