A New Jersey man is the first person believed to have died from a so-called meat allergy triggered by a tick bite, researchers say.
The man died in September 2024, but researchers just recently linked the death to the allergy, known as alpha-gal syndrome, or AGS.
According to experts, the bite of a Lone Star tick can lead an individual to develop a sensitivity or allergy to alpha galactose, a carbohydrate found in red meat and dairy products. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says AGS can cause hives, nausea, stomach pain, breathing issues and swelling.
Man died several hours after eating hamburger at barbecue
According to researchers, a 47-year-old New Jersey man went on a camping trip with his wife and children in summer 2024, and after spending the day outdoors, they had beef steak for dinner. About four hours later, researchers say the man experienced severe abdominal discomfort, diarrhea and vomiting that lasted about two hours.
The man apparently felt better the following morning, but when discussing what had happened with his family, he allegedly said, “I thought I was going to die.” However, he decided not to consult a doctor about the symptoms, researchers say.
About two weeks later, researchers say the man attended a barbecue where he ate a hamburger. About four hours after eating, the man was found unconscious on the bathroom floor with vomit around him. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead several hours later.
The man’s name was not released, nor was the location he went camping.
Postmortem blood test reveals allergic reaction to alpha-gal
The man’s death was ruled a “sudden unexplained death,” but his wife asked a friend in the medical field to review the autopsy report. The doctor contacted researchers in Virginia to look into the possible role of AGS.
Earlier this year, the man’s blood was tested, and researchers say it was determined he had suffered an allergic reaction to alpha-gal consistent with fatal anaphylaxis.
The man’s wife said that earlier in the summer, he had gotten about a dozen bug bites around his ankles believed to be from Lone Star tick larvae.
According to researchers, this is “the first documented anaphylactic death related to AGS where the symptoms started several hours after consuming mammalian meat.”
Doctors want to raise awareness of alpha-gal syndrome
The researchers argue more public education on AGS is necessary, considering the increased presence of Lone Star ticks in northern states and the fact that abdominal pain is not widely recognized as a possible symptom of an allergic reaction.
“Although this is very, very uncommon– what happened to him is not likely to happen to other people. I’m not afraid of that,” said Dr. Thomas Platts-Mills with UVA Health. “But they should know about it.”
“If they start noticing they’re developing abdominal pain, rashes after eating red meat, they should talk to their physicians about the possibility that they’ve been sensitized to this specific carbohydrate within red meat,” said Dr. Suraj Saggar, chief of infectious disease at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, “and understand that if they continue to eat it, there is at least the potential for having a very serious and even fatal reaction.”
Experts say people who live in areas where Lone Star ticks are common, like New York and New Jersey, should do what they can to avoid tick bites.
“With the changing seasons, the warming of our climate, these ticks are increasing in their numbers. The potential exposures are increasing,” Saggar said. “People should take all the precautions they can to protect [from] tick bites.”
Doctors say awareness is key.
