Tick Bites Reach Decade High, Meat Allergy Spreads

Alpha-gal is a sugar molecule carried by the lone star tick, which is spreading quickly across the northeastern United States. Sam Telford, a professor at Tufts University, said the syndrome is not new. It was identified in the mid-to-late 2000s, and people in the South have lived with it for years. What has changed is awareness. Researchers link the wider tick boom to deer. Aubrey Stimola Ryan, a doctor at Martha's Vineyard Hospital, said white-tailed deer are the main breeding ground for these ticks. One deer can feed 1,500 ticks in a season, and each female tick lays 2,000 eggs.

Reactions can be dangerous, including anaphylactic shock. Some patients also react to dairy products or the smell of meat. One local restaurant owner created a separate menu with no red meat. Telford said the allergy is finally convincing communities to reduce deer numbers, and that patients can sometimes eat meat again if they avoid bites. Experts advise treating clothes with permethrin, tucking pants into socks, and checking the body twice a day. Ticks like warm, hidden creases: the groin, underarms, navel and behind the knees. Clothes should go into a hot dryer, and people should shower within two hours of coming inside.