Why the CDC is raising concerns of alpha

News Hundreds of thousands of people may have become allergic to red meat after acquiring alpha-gal syndrome from tick bites, CDC officials warn. by Marc Iskowitz, MM+MAdded 15 hours ago Even those

News

Hundreds of thousands of people may have become allergic to red meat after acquiring alpha-gal syndrome from tick bites, CDC officials warn.

by Marc Iskowitz, MM+MAdded 15 hours ago

Even those who aren’t big fans of barbeque may find a recent warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention troubling.

The agency is cautioning about a potentially life-threatening meat allergy that has become more prevalent, noting that even those who take certain oral medications could be affected.

Hundreds of thousands of people may have acquired the allergic condition known as alpha-gal syndrome from tick bites, the CDC said last week. The effects of AGS, ranging from rash to throat swelling, can last a lifetime for some patients and can be life-threatening, especially if people don’t know they have it.

Between 2010 and 2022, more than 110,000 suspected cases were identified, according to the agency. However, due to challenges in diagnosis, the CDC estimates that the number of those with the syndrome may be as high as 450,000 Americans, two studies show.

“The burden of alpha-gal syndrome in the United States could be substantial given the large percentage of cases suspected to be going undiagnosed due to non-specific and inconsistent symptoms, challenges seeking healthcare, and lack of clinician awareness,” said Dr. Johanna Salzer, a CDC epidemiologist.

AGS, also known as the red-meat allergy or the tick bite meat allergy, is a condItion where people become allergic to alpha-gal, a sugar molecule found in many mammals, but not humans. Alpha-gal is not found in fish, birds or reptiles.

A person who has AGS may experience an allergic reaction after eating meat like pork, beef, rabbit, lamb or venison. However, products made from mammals, like gelatin and milk/milk products, as well as some pharmaceuticals, may also contain the molecule.

It’s associated with a bevy of symptoms, from hives or itchy rash, nausea or vomiting, and heartburn or indigestion to diarrhea, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. The syndrome may also lead to a drop in blood pressure, swelling of the lips, throat, tongue, or eyelids, dizziness or faintness, or severe stomach pain.

People may not have a reaction after every alpha-gal exposure and the symptoms can take time to appear. They commonly manifest between two and six hours after eating food or other exposure to products containing alpha-gal, for example, gelatin-coated medications, CDC said.

In one agency study, out of some 300,000 specimens submitted by healthcare providers on behalf of patients with presumed clinical suspicion of AGS, more than 30% were positive. Researchers think prevalence could be higher, though, because diagnosis of AGS requires a positive diagnostic test and a clinical exam, and some may not get tested.

Low awareness among the medical community may also increase the danger. A study of 1,500 primary care clinicians showed nearly half had not heard of AGS. Of those who were aware, one-third said they were “not too confident” in their ability to diagnose or manage patients with the syndrome, CDC reported.

Just 5% felt “very confident” in their ability, per the study, whose respondents ranged from family and general practitioners along with internists, pediatricians and nurse practitioners or physician assistants. It was this second study that prompted the researchers to raise their estimate of those who may have the allergy to 450,000.

AGS can be a lifelong condition, although a physician who is among the study co-authors says he’s seen the allergy “fade away” in about 15% to 20% of his patients. Still, a subsequent bite can cause it to return.

In terms of the cause, evidence suggests the allergy is due to the bite of a lone star tick, but other kinds of ticks have not been ruled out. Those who tested positive tended to be concentrated in the southern, midwestern and mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S.

The best strategy — avoid getting bitten in the first place. A list of CDC tips to cut down on the chances of tick bites can be found here.

That said, Salzer, senior author on both papers, added, “It’s important that people who think they may suffer from AGS see their healthcare provider or an allergist, provide a detailed history of symptoms, get a physical examination, and a blood test that looks for specific antibodies (proteins made by your immune system) to alpha-gal.”

This story first appeared on mmm-online.com.

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