Anyone who runs, bikes, or goes hiking in woodsy locations is likely familiar with tick checks to prevent Lyme disease, a condition that can lead to effects on the heart, joints, and nervous system if untreated. But that’s not the only threat from these creepy crawlers—a newer type of condition is making its way through the country, causing food allergies.
Although they don’t cause Lyme disease, the lone star tick can prompt an issue called alpha-gal syndrome, a food allergy that develops as a result of a bite. The allergy causes the body to react to eating meat from mammals and products made from mammals—that includes beef, pork, lamb, venison, cheese, milk, and yogurt.
A bite from a lone star tick can cause a circular rash similar to the kind seen with early Lyme disease, but the most notable symptoms are nausea, diarrhea, and digestive pain that starts between two to six hours after eating animal products.
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That’s because alpha-gal (which is short for galactose-a-1, 3-galactose) is a sugar molecule found in most mammals, but not in fish or birds. With alpha-gal syndrome, you develop an allergy to that molecule and have a reaction to it, which can range from mild hives to difficulty breathing and a drop in blood pressure.
Should you be worried about alpha gal syndrome?
The good news is that right now, this illness is fairly rare, especially compared to Lyme disease, according to Elena Ivanina, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that about 30,000 cases of Lyme are reported to state health departments annually, but added the true number may be closer to half a million cases yearly.
The not-great news is that alpha-gal may not stay uncommon for long, Ivanina tells Runner’s World. Alpha-gal syndrome is not tracked as closely as Lyme, but one estimate found that confirmed cases rose from 12 in 2009 to about 34,000 in 2019. Lone star ticks are found primarily in the southeastern and eastern U.S., but experts expect them to continue expanding their territory.
“Due to climate change, tickborne illness in general has become more widespread,” says Ivanina. Warmer, drier weather not only makes more environments suitable for ticks, but research indicates it also lengthens the seasons for their activity. “In the northeast, I know very few gastroenterologists who have seen alpha-gal syndrome cases, and there are some who haven’t even heard of this syndrome. But that’s likely to change in the years ahead.”
Another concern is how alpha-gal syndrome might affect the immune system if the allergy becomes chronic, says Rudolph Bedford, M.D., gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif.
“Most tickborne illnesses have an immune system response that could eventually lead to a disorder,” he tells Runner’s World. “Where I am, we’ve only seen a couple patients with this, so we don’t know the path this will take, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see this become problematic in the future.”
What should you do if you suspect you have alpha gal syndrome?
If you think you may have developed the issue, diagnosing the syndrome is straightforward, Ivanina says. Similar to other types of food allergy, a blood test is used to measure levels of an antibody called immuoglobulin E (IgE) that’s specific to a particular component of a certain foods. Those with food allergies make more IgE than people without allergies. Putting together that information with symptoms and recent events, like a tick bite, can help pinpoint a diagnosis.
If you do get alpha-gal syndrome, the only current treatment is avoidance, says Ivanina. It may be possible to have some animal-based food products like milk or cheese, but red meat seems to deliver the strongest reaction, so experts recommend avoiding that entirely.
How can you protect yourself from tick bites?
1. Do regular tick checks
In terms of prevention, that’s where tick checks come in, says Ivanina. You’ll want to check even more often if you’ve been in tall grass or woody areas, compared to say, a rail trail where you’re running on pavement.
Pay special attention to areas like the armpits, in and around the ears, back of the knees, scalp and back of the neck, around the waist, and inside the belly button. Ideally, it’s best to do a check once you leave the woods if you drove there, so ticks don’t get in the car. But Ivanina says doing a more thorough check once you’re home is fine.
2. Use repellent
Another important step for avoiding tick bites: using insect repellent on skin and clothes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests using insect repellents with ingredients such as DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, paramenthane-diol, or 2-undecanone.
3. Cover up
Wear tall socks to limit the amount of exposed skin. Light-colored clothing without a pattern can help you see ticks more easily, but keep in mind that even if you’re completely covered, ticks may still get under your clothing, which is why it’s important to do a thorough check.
Elizabeth Millard is a freelance writer focusing on health, wellness, fitness, and food.
