![]() ![]() How do you test for alpha-Gal syndrome? You need to get the right test straight out of the gate, and a skin-prick test (SPT) probably isn’t the way to go. ![]() There is no explicit AGS treatment, so it’s vital to receive a proper diagnosis to know what products and foods to avoid. Given the time and money that can be involved in securing a diagnosis, testing for alpha-Gal syndrome is critical. Blood testing is paramount in testing for alpha-Gal skin-prick tests (SPTs) aren't effective. 3,5,8Īlpha-Gal associated meat allergy described worldwide 1Ģ. 6 Recent reports also suggest that bites from chiggers, which are microscopic arachnids (like spiders), may also lead to AGS. Although these baby ticks are the size of a poppy seed, they can still transmit alpha-Gal. 7Īlso note that many tick bites go unnoticed, particularly from “seed” ticks. 6 Plus, a 2022 article in the Toronto Star revealed that the Lone Star tick is expanding from the United States into Canada due to rising temperatures. For example, the Lone Star Tick was previously rare in Michigan, but it’s now the third most common tick in the state. This means increasing deer populations and/or environmental factors that cause herd migrations (like climate change or land development), may be responsible for bringing alpha-Gal carrying ticks to foreign states. However, because some of these ticks prey on deer, they can be brought across state lines to new environments as herds migrate and travel. 2 However, alpha-Gal Syndrome has now been reported on all continents except Antarctica, and at least eight tick species are confirmed or suspected culprits associated with the condition. Initially, this syndrome was linked to the Lone Star Tick, which is found mostly in the southeastern United States. Across the globe, bites from several types of ticks (and potentially chiggers) can lead to AGS. 2 Therefore, this delayed response may leave some asking, "What did I eat that caused my allergic reaction?"ġ. Rather than happening soon after eating (as is the case with many food-related allergies), an alpha-Gal allergy symptoms typically don’t occur for three to six hours after eating red meat or other mammalian products. 2 However, eating other types of meats like poultry, fish, and shellfish won't cause alpha-Gal Syndrome symptoms. ![]() The reaction can range from mild to severe and even life-threatening symptoms. 2-3 This can then trigger an allergic reaction if they eat any mammalian products. If it bites a human, it can transmit this molecule into the person’s bloodstream. It works like this: The tick (or chigger) feasts on a mammal such as a deer, and in doing so, it ingests alpha-Gal. 1-2 But this reaction actually begins with a bite from a lone star tick (or possibly a chigger). Also known as "red meat allergy," "mammalian meat allergy," or "tick-bite allergy," the syndrome is when an allergic reaction to alpha-Gal, which is a sugar molecule found in mammal meat such as beef, pork, venison, and more. And the more we learn about it, the stranger it seems to get. ![]()
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