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What Is Alpha-Gal Syndrome?

Author/s: 
Fatema Mollah, Mark A Zacharek, Mariel R Benjamin

Alpha-gal syndrome is a type of food allergy to mammalian (red) meat products.

Alpha-gal syndrome is associated with tick bites, most commonly from the Lone Star tick in the US, but also from different types of ticks in other areas of the world. During a bite, a tick injects a type of sugar molecule (galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose), also called alpha-gal, which leads to formation of an antibody. Because alpha-gal is present on cells of most mammals, including cows, pigs, lambs, and goats, when affected individuals eat these animal products, an allergic reaction may occur.

Keywords 
allergy and clinical immunology Patient Information diet red meat allergy Alpha-Gal Syndrome

Tick-borne red meat allergy (α-gal syndrome)

Author/s: 
Jeimy, Samira, Zhu, Rongbo

Tick-borne red meat allergy occurs from sensitization to a carbohydrate, galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-gal)

The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) is commonly found in the southern United States, but its prevalence in Canada is increasing.1 The tick’s saliva contains a high level of α-gal, a carbohydrate antigen also present in nonprimate mammalian cell membranes.2 Skin and bloodstream exposure to this antigen through a tick bite leads to sensitization to the carbohydrate and, subsequently, to red meat allergy.

Keywords 
tick-borne illness Allergic reactions red meat allery

Diagnosis of Lyme Disease

Author/s: 
Pitrak, D, Nguyen, C. T., Cifu, A. S.

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the US, occurring predominantly in the Northeast, the upper Midwest, and Northern California, with increasing incidence and geographic range.1 Lyme disease can cause a skin lesion at the site of the initial tick bite as well as disseminated disease, including neuropathy, meningitis, acute myocarditis/pericarditis (often with associated conduction abnormalities), and arthritis. Accurate diagnosis is the first step in the optimal management of Lyme disease.

Keywords 
Lyme disease diagnosis US tick-borne illness
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