This week brought a heartbreaking reminder about a very real medical risk. Researchers at the University of Virginia (UVA) revealed the first documented alpha-gal syndrome death, a case that began with a series of tick bites and ended months later in a sudden and devastating loss.

A 47-year-old airline pilot from New Jersey died in the summer of 2024 after two severe allergic reactions that happened hours after eating red meat. The case puzzled doctors until a team from UVA reviewed his medical history and bloodwork. 

Their findings confirmed that he had developed a Lone Star tick allergy that changed the way his body reacted to beef and other animal products.

What They Discovered

The pilot’s family said he had been bitten by ticks a few times while camping that summer. Also, he didn’t eat red meat often, but, on the night of his first reaction, he had a steak before he went to bed. 

In the middle of the night, he woke up doubled over in pain, sweating, and terrified. The symptoms slowly faded, and he went back to sleep without realizing something serious had begun. Two weeks later, he ate a hamburger at a barbecue and felt fine for most of the evening. As the hours passed, though, he became extremely ill and collapsed at home. 

Sadly, emergency responders couldn’t revive him. His passing was initially labeled a “sudden unexplained death,” a conclusion that left his family with more questions than answers. Months later, UVA researchers received blood samples with a request to test for the telltale antibodies linked to a tick bite meat allergy. The results were unmistakable. 

His immune system had reacted so strongly to alpha-gal, a sugar molecule found in mammalian meat, that it triggered a catastrophic reaction.

Alpha Gal Syndrome Is Becoming More Common

The discovery was unsettling, but not surprising to doctors who study the condition. Lone Star ticks are spreading into more states every year, due, in part, to the growing deer population. These ticks pick up alpha-gal from the animals they feed on, then transfer it to humans through their saliva.

Doctors say the number of suspected cases has increased in the last decade. There have been more than 110,000 since 2010, though the CDC believes the actual number could be much higher. 

Most of the infections have appeared in the South, East, and Central United States, where Lone Star ticks are most prevalent.

A Closer Look at the Symptoms

Most people experience alpha-gal symptoms after eating meat. And, once a person is sensitized, the reactions happen slowly. It takes about two to six hours for symptoms to start showing. 

That delay is part of the reason why the allergy is so hard to diagnose. People don’t connect the reaction to what they ate earlier in the day.

For many, reactions include:

• Hives

• Stomach pain

• Nausea

• Diarrhea

Others experience dizziness or swelling. 

In rare cases, it can lead to life-threatening anaphylaxis, especially when triggered alongside alcohol, exercise, or exposure to pollen. Currently, there’s no cure for alpha-gal syndrome. 

The most effective treatment is often the simplest one: avoid beef, pork, lamb, dairy, and other products that contain the sugar molecule. With careful management, most people can lead normal lives. But, the UVA team behind the new findings believes this case will change how clinicians approach unexplained allergic reactions. 

That’s one reason they’re urging doctors to familiarize themselves with the research, and why they want more people in high tick areas to pay attention to emerging information coming from their UVA alpha-gal research.

How to Protect Yourself

Lone Star ticks are active most of the year, especially from spring through early fall. They can be as small as a pinhead and easy to miss, which is why prevention is so important.

Experts recommend:

• Covering your skin when you’re outside

• Avoiding tall grass

• Using tick repellent

• Checking your clothing and pets after spending time outside

Even small larvae can bite, so spotting them early can help reduce the risk of developing a long-term allergy. For now, the UVA case is a difficult reminder that tick bites can lead to more than the usual suspects like Lyme disease. 

As researchers continue to study how this condition develops, awareness is our best defense, and paying attention to early symptoms can make all the difference.

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