It’s an unusual condition that has only been recognized for less than a decade: red meat allergy. The allergy develops after a bite from a Lone Star tick triggers a person’s immune system to begin producing IgE antibodies to alpha-gal, a sugar found in meat such as beef, lamb, venison and pork.
It can be a confounding condition to diagnose. Unlike other food allergies in which a reaction occurs soon after eating – alpha-gal meat reactions often don’t develop until three to six hours after red meat has been consumed. So while the allergic symptoms (ranging from hives and itchiness to full-blown anaphylaxis) may be obvious, doctors and patients can miss that red meat is the culprit.
Read the full article in the July 14, 2016 Allergic Living magazine.