Ticks! Ick! The latest science on the red meat allergy caused by some tick bites

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/04/02/ [login to see] /ticks-ick-the-latest-science-on-the-red-meat-allergy-caused-by-some-tick-bites
There's an increase in emergency department visits for tick bites this time of year as people spend more time outdoors. Increasingly, these bites are linked to illness, everything from Lyme disease to babesiosis. And, there's another emerging risk linked to tick bites known as alpha-gal syndrome, which causes a red meat allergy.

Scientists first connected the dots between red meat allergies and tick bites more than a decade ago, when they identified patients who got allergic reactions such as hives or anaphylaxis after eating beef or pork. Most had been bitten by Lone Star ticks.

Now, doctors' understanding of these allergies has evolved.

"What's new is that we have patients who really just have GI symptoms," explains Dr. Sarah McGill, a gastroenterologist at the University of North Carolina. McGill says some alpha-gal syndrome, or AGS, patients feel sick to their stomachs after they eat red meat, but never develop more typical allergic symptoms, such as a rash, swelling or trouble breathing.