In a groundbreaking revelation, scientists have identified what they believe to be the first recorded fatality caused by a meat allergy linked to tick bites. This case involves a 47-year-old man from New Jersey who succumbed to alpha-gal syndrome, a condition first associated with the Lone Star tick’s bite in 2011.

Since 2010, this syndrome has been responsible for over 100,000 individuals across the United States developing an allergy to red meat, based on recent estimates. While the researchers confirmed the presence of alpha-gal syndrome through blood tests, direct evidence connecting it to the Lone Star tick remains elusive. The link was primarily established through the man’s wife, who mentioned that he had experienced 12 to 13 “chigger” bites on his ankles earlier in the summer.

Experts like Commins point out that in the eastern U.S., bites from mites are often mistaken for those of larval ticks, which aligns with the researchers’ conclusions. The incidence of alpha-gal syndrome is on the rise due to several factors, including the expansion of the Lone Star tick’s habitat, increased human-tick interactions, and a growing awareness among medical professionals, leading to more frequent testing for the condition.

The researchers said blood tests revealed evidence of alpha-gal syndrome. Proof that it came from a Lone Star tick is incomplete. The authors made the link based on a statement from the man’s wife, who had said he had 12 or 13 “chigger” bites around his ankles earlier in the summer.

But the conclusion makes sense, as people in the eastern US sometimes mistake the bites from mites with those from larval ticks, Commins said.

The number of cases of Alpha-gal syndrome is growing for a variety of reasons, including the Lone Star tick’s expanding range, more people coming into contact with the ticks and more doctors learning about it and ordering tests for it.

It can take weeks or longer for infected people to develop the syndrome, which is named for the alpha-gal carbohydrate found in the tick’s saliva. Initial reactions to red meat may be milder but grow progressively more severe, Benoit said.

Some patients have only stomach symptoms, and the American Gastroenterological Association has advised that people with unexplained diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain should be tested for the syndrome.