Heller
By JENNIFER HELLER, guest columnist
My last article was about some of the nasty illnesses that ticks can spread, but I saved the strangest disease for last: the Alpha-gal reaction to a tick bite.
Alpha-gal is a sugar molecule that can be found in meat such as pork, beef, rabbit, lamb and venison or in products made from mammals such as gelatin, cow’s milk and milk products. When the tick bites, it can transfer this molecule into your body. Some people then develop an allergic reaction after eating these products.
Alpha-gal syndrome, or AGS, is a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. Reactions can include rashes, hives, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, indigestion, blood pressure drop, swelling of lips, tongue, throat or eyelids, dizziness or fainting or severe stomach pain. Another reaction could also include anaphylaxis, which can involve:
Constriction of airways
Swelling of the throat that makes it difficult to breathe
A severe drop in blood pressure (shock)
Rapid pulse
Dizziness, lightheadedness or loss of consciousness
Reactions usually happen within two to six hours of eating one of the aforementioned products above. Sometimes there is no reaction, some people have mild symptoms, some have severe reactions. Talk to your doctor if you think you may have AGS.
It seems that the lone star tick is the main culprit for causing this allergic reaction, but other ticks may also carry this molecule. People who are exposed to many tick bites over time may develop more-severe symptoms. There is also a connection with the cancer drug Cetuximab as people with antibodies related to alpha-gal syndrome can also have allergic reactions to the cancer drug Cetuximab (Erbitux).
The allergy can be life changing for people, who now must watch carefully what they eat, and will possibly not be able to eat favorite foods.
Following my last column about tick bites and diseases, a reader reached out about their experience with AGS including two trips to the emergency room before blood tests and a meeting with an allergist determined the cause of their symptoms. Their symptoms included breaking out in hives, partial loss of vision, temporarily losing consciousness and falling down.
This allergy is also somewhat hard to diagnose and possibly has not been recognized until fairly recently. Most cases have been reported in southern, eastern and central states and mostly among adults.
How do I prevent AGS? Use the normal precautions against ticks:
Avoid grassy, bushy and wooded areas that may harbor ticks.
Use repellents registered by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Shower after a possible exposure and check yourself for ticks.
Treat clothing with permethrin.
Ticks are not going away anytime soon, so be proactive and be aware.
Jennifer Heller is the environmental health specialist for the Brown County Health Department. She is responsible for restaurant inspections, septic installation inspections, vector issues, farmer’s markets and home base vendor questions and complaints. She also chairs the Terrorism and All Hazards Preparedness Committee for the Indiana Environmental Health Association and will be the president-elect of that organization in 2022. She can be reached by at [email protected].
