Tick Associated Syndrome: The Alpha Gal Meat Allergy, Identification, Treatment and Prevention

Abstract

Tick borne diseases have become a public health crisis in endemic areas of the US and the world. It is important for health care professionals to be aware of the clinical manifestations, treatment and prevention of tick-borne diseases. Tick borne diseases include those transmitted by the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) which  include Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mounted Spotted Fever (RMSF), Spotted fever rickettsiosis,  Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness (STARI), tularemia, Heartland virus as well as transmitting  alpha gal [1].The alpha gal epitope is not naturally present in humans (or apes) but is present in all other mammals. Exposure to lone star tick bites are associated with a delayed allergic reaction to mammalian meat due to development of antibodies to Galactose-alpha-1, 3-galactose or commonly known as alpha gal [1]. Although Lyme disease is the predominant tick- borne disease in the US which is transmitted by the Black Legged tick (Ixodes scalpularis), the alpha gal meat allergy sensitization caused by the lone star tick is increasing. This is attributed to the increase numbers of lone star ticks and their expansion into new geographic locations.  It is important to educate the public on signs of this allergy, treatment and how to mitigate exposure to tick bites [2,3].