New Jersey Man Dies From A Meat Allergy Caused By Tick Bite

The first known fatality from a red meat allergy intolerance spread by ticks has been recorded.

The otherwise healthy 47-year-old New Jersey man died abruptly after consuming beef at a restaurant in the summer of 2024. He had been camping with his family two weeks prior, per UVA Health. 

The man’s son found him unconscious on the floor of a bathroom surrounded by vomit, and the man was declared dead at a hospital. The autopsy declared it was a “sudden unexplained death,” but his wife pushed for answers, and eventually it was discovered that his death could be traced back to a tick bite.

Former Chief of UVA Health’s Division of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Thomas Platts-Mills determined via blood samples taken post-mortem that the man had been sensitized to alpha-gal, a sugar found in mammalian meat, the outlet noted. Alpha-gal syndrome is caused by a bite from the Lone Star tick, which causes people to have an anaphylaxis reaction. Symptoms include a rash, nausea, and vomiting after consuming meat.

The same man had become ill after a steak dinner two weeks prior and had told his son he felt like he was dying. 

“The important information for the public is: First, that severe abdominal pain occurring 3 to 5 hours after eating beef, pork or lamb should be investigated as a possible episode of anaphylaxis; and, second, that tick bites that itch for more than a week or larvae of ticks often called ‘chiggers’ can induce or increase sensitization to mammalian-derived meat,” Platts-Mills said. “On the other hand, most individuals who have mild to moderate episodes of hives can control symptoms with an appropriate diet.”

While most individuals who develop alpha-gal sensitivities don’t have such an extreme allergic reaction, it is a possibility that severe illness or death can occur. Platts-Mills also warned doctors to be on the lookout for these types of responses in their patients.

“It is important that both doctors and patients who live in an area of the country where Lone Star ticks are common should be aware of the risk of sensitization,” Platts-Mills said. “More specifically, if they have unexpected episodes of severe abdominal pain occurring several hours after eating mammalian meat, they should be investigated for possible sensitization to the oligosaccharide alpha-gal.”

Lone Star ticks are common throughout the South, Southeast, and much of the eastern and midwestern United States, and their range has been expanding northward and westward in recent years.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said more than 110,000 suspected cases were identified between 2010 and 2022, but the actual number is likely higher, as people aren’t likely to test for it. The CDC also found in 2023 that 42% of health providers had never heard of Alpha-gal syndrome.