First Fatal Case of Tick-Induced Meat Allergy Identified, AP Reports

A 47-year-old New Jersey man died in 2024 from alpha-gal syndrome, a red-meat allergy first connected to Lone Star tick bites in 2011, the Associated Press reported. More than 100,000 Americans have developed the condition since 2010, the AP reported. Outside experts told the AP it appears to be the first known fatal reaction occurring soon after eating meat, though other deaths may have been misattributed.

The case, detailed in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, involved a healthy airline pilot who became violently ill hours after eating steak on a camping trip and later collapsed after eating a hamburger. Blood tests confirmed alpha-gal syndrome. Dr. Scott Commins called the death an “unmitigated tragedy,” telling the AP it was preventable with better awareness.

According to Texas A&M University, most AGS cases in the U.S. occur in the southern, eastern, and central regions where Lone Star ticks are common, and the condition is most often seen in adults. The CDC has received over 110,000 suspected case reports from 2010 to 2022, though the true number is likely higher because reporting is not required.

Download the entire Associated Press article.

Sources:
Associated Press
Texas A&M's AgriLife Research