Mysterious Mammal Meat Allergy is Caused by Ticks and Spreading FastJust when you thought it couldn't get any worse... but I can already hear the Vegetarians gloating...
(http://images.dailytech.com/nimage/Steak_Wide.png)
For alpha-gal allergy victims, mammal meat can prove deadly. [Image Source: Chris Passet]
QuoteEast coast states of Virginia, North Carolina, and New York are among the worst hit
Americans can be a stubborn lot. If there's one thing many of them won't give up, it's red meat, as epitomized by the Beef Checkoff Program's popular ad phrase, "Beef it's what's for dinner."
I. Deadly Mammal Meat Allergy Fascinates Allergists
But some meat lovers are being forced to begrudgingly give up their favorite food item to preserve their health.
The culprit is a new allergy to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, or alpha-gal, a sugar found in the flesh of virtually all non-primate mammals. The allergy is pretty unique. Allergist Dr. Erin McGintee describes, "Intellectually, it's such a cool allergy on so many levels. It's a sugar, not a protein, and most food allergies occur in response to a protein antigen."
And to add to the oddity, the allergy is the first known case of delayed anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction to food that can cause death. Symptoms include the appearance of an itchy rash, throat swelling, and low blood pressure. Typically these symptoms occur minutes after eating the allergy-containing food. But in the case of the alpha-gal allergy, people can eat a steak dinner and then be stricken with anaphylaxis hours later, requiring hospitalization and life-saving epinephrine injections.
Ticks are Believed to be to BlameGet bitten by this little critter and you get the alergy to meat...
QuoteThe cause has seemingly been traced to the common lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) as all the victims have had at least one recent tick bite. Many have developed the allergy after many bites. Precise details of how the tick bite leads to the allergy are not yet known, but are a hot topic of research.
(http://images.dailytech.com/nimage/Lone_Star_Tick_Wide.png)
Mysterious Mammal Meat Allergy is Caused by Ticks and Spreading Fast (http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=24982)Enjoy your steak, everyone :D
Wow, this sounds pretty nasty, as if you have an anaphylactic shock hours later, it probably wouldnt be identified as quick as the typical case, happening in seconds.
Heres a map of star tick distribution I found:
(http://twp.freehold.nj.us/ticks/public/types_of_ticks_nj/images_types_of_ticks/tick_species_map.gif)
A quote from the CDC...
"The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) transmits Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Ehrlichia ewingii, causing human ehrlichiosis, tularemia, and STARI. The lone star tick is primarily found in the southeastern and eastern United States. White-tailed deer are a major host of lone star ticks and appear to represent one natural reservoir for E. chaffeensis. A. americanum larvae and nymphs feed on birds and deer. Both nymphal and adult ticks may be associated with the transmission of pathogens to humans."
So, Im glad we dont eat as much red meat as we used to, and since living in Florida, Ive picked numerous ticks of myself and my dogs. (Yes we shower at least once a month!)
What worries me is the lighthearted way they talk about it...it's a really cool allergy!
What?!?!?!
Of course the conspiracy theorist in me has to wonder whehter it has stemmed from Montauk or the area where Lyme disease was created.
Any way, it's another reason to eat fresh fish, or no meat at all, but dangit, Zorgon, that steak looks magnificent!
Le
I can live happily in fish. And veggies.
My spidy sense suggested to Me that indeed, this is not a "naturally developing" thing, but one more of the ills They're recently been unleashing upon Us.
Tick Fever is extremely dangerous I understand.
I don't think the idea of a tick caused allergy is too cool either.
Nasty things, ticks. Linda
Quote from: Amaterasu on June 22, 2012, 11:53:21 PM
I can live happily in fish. And veggies.
Jonas tried living in a fish :D As for plants...
(http://www.whatsnextblog.com/feed_me.png)
:o
Quote from: Littleenki on June 22, 2012, 09:14:16 PM
What worries me is the lighthearted way they talk about it...it's a really cool allergy!
What?!?!?!
Yeah odd that and odder is how this just suddenly appeared
QuoteOf course the conspiracy theorist in me has to wonder wherter it has stemmed from Montauk or the area where Lyme disease was created.
Would not surprise me. All that early talk about how Aids was created to attack a certain race but back fired and how those idiot scientists have engineered the bird flue to be airborne and now contagious to humans and they fought to be allowed to release the "how to" to the public WTF?
Monsanto has engineered bees... we have that African killer bee thanks to 'science' wanting a tougher bee... Yeah well they got one
And they have created a bug that excretes petroleum :o
QuoteAny way, it's another reason to eat fresh fish, or no meat at all, but dangit, Zorgon, that steak looks magnificent!
Yeah no ticks here in Vegas and LOTS of great steaks and seafood :D
Quote from: zorgon on June 23, 2012, 12:24:07 AM
Jonas tried living in a fish :D As for plants...
(http://www.whatsnextblog.com/feed_me.png)
:o
Oh, oh, You never know where the typo will go! LOLOL!
Quote from: zorgon on June 23, 2012, 12:31:36 AM
Yeah odd that and odder is how this just suddenly appeared
Would not surprise me. All that early talk about how Aids was created to attack a certain race but back fired and how those idiot scientists have engineered the bird flue to be airborne and now contagious to humans and they fought to be allowed to release the "how to" to the public WTF?
Monsanto has engineered bees... we have that African killer bee thanks to 'science' wanting a tougher bee... Yeah well they got one
And they have created a bug that excretes petroleum :o
Yeah no ticks here in Vegas and LOTS of great steaks and seafood :D
I have to admit that Vegas, except for the occasional vinegaroon and black widow, was mercifully bug-free. I did enjoy that about it. About the only thing, though. (Well, the beauty did not escape Me...unless I was looking stripward.)
i have only had one tick bite in my life and i am still going ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww
we also have a very healthy white tail deer population and the ticks seem to be having a population explosion in recent years
so i had to look this alpha gal up..a few things stood out for me..i underlined them
http://allergytomeat.wordpress.com/frequently-asked-questions/
What exactly is this mammalian meat allergy?
When certain people are bitten by ticks or chiggers, the bite appears to set off a chain of reactions in the body. One of these reactions is the production of an allergic class of antibody that binds to a carbohydrate present on meat called galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, also known as alpha-gal. When a person with the alpha-gal antibody eats mammalian meat, the meat triggers the release of histamine. Histamine is a compound found in the body that causes allergic symptoms like hives, itching and, in the worst case, anaphylaxis (a reaction that leads to sudden weakness, swelling of the throat, lips and tongue, difficulty breathing and/or unconsciousness).
This allergy is different from other food allergies like peanut allergy in that the response is delayed. Unlike someone with a peanut allergy who has an immediate reaction when they eat a peanut, people with the alpha-gal allergy do not start having symptoms until several hours after they eat meat.
What exactly is mammalian meat?
Mammalian meat is any meat that comes from a mammal. This includes beef, pork, lamb, venison, goat and bison. Chicken, turkey and fish are not mammals and therefore do not have alpha-gal.
Do humans have alpha-gal?
No, we do not. During the evolution of our species, the enzyme that leads to the production of alpha-gal was inactivated. The only mammals that do not have it are humans, old world monkeys and great apes.
I think I have this allergy but I only have a reaction after eating beef. Is that possible?
Yes. We have seen many people who only react to only one or two of the mammalian meats. We do not know for sure exactly why this happens. We believe that there is a connection between the fat content of the meat and the way the body reacts to it. Meats with more fat like hamburgers seem to cause more reactions than lean meats like venison.
isn't that strange since deer are the biggest carriers?
Why do I have this allergy?
We do not yet know why certain people develop this allergy while other people do not. It seems like it might be connected to blood type. The alpha-gal sugar resembles the structure of the B blood group antigen. Based on this, we previously thought that people who are blood types B or AB are less likely to have this allergy, but this has not been shown to be true in our allergy clinic.
How many other people have this allergy?
To date, we have heard of several hundred people from across the United States and abroad who have developed delayed hives, swelling and anaphylaxis 3-6 hours after eating mammalian meat.
How do I get tested for this allergy?
There is a commercial test available for the mammalian meat allergy through the lab company ViracorIBT. You will need to arrange to get your blood drawn at your primary care doctor's office or another local clinic. The clinic should draw one "red top" tube. In order to have the test done, you need to include a print-out of this form which has to be signed by a doctor, nurse practitioner or physician's assistant. On page 5 under "Mammal/Fowl" you will see a test called "Alpha-Gal". Check off the box to the right of "Alpha-Gal" under "IgE". The test costs $37.50.
What do the test results mean?
You will receive a number that indicates the amount of alpha-gal specific antibody you have in your blood. Any number above 0.35 is considered to be positive. A higher number does not necessarily indicate worse symptoms but, in general, people with lower numbers (2-3 IU/mL) seem to be able to tolerate small amounts of lean meat without much difficulty.
What is the treatment?
The only treatment that is available right now is to avoid mammalian meat.
Will I ever be able to eat a ham sandwich/burger/lamb roast again?
There are some initial signs that the alpha-gal antibody level goes down over time, especially if you are able to avoid tick/chigger bites. If you test positive and are able to avoid bites for several months, you might consider being re-tested after that period to see if your antibody level has decreased.
What about dairy?
There is a small amount of alpha-gal in dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese, butter, cream, etc.). Most people who test positive for this allergy are still able to eat dairy without problems. However, if you have any lingering symptoms or just do not feel "right" after giving up mammalian meat, you might consider avoiding dairy as well. Some people with really bad reactions have found that to be helpful. If you are feeling fine, we suggest keeping milk in your diet as it may offer some amount of tolerance to alpha-gal.
more at the link and a study you can join