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Food

Tick Bites Are Making People Allergic to Meat

“Tick-induced mammalian meat allergy” was first detected in 2007 but Australia and parts of the US have seen a recent rise in cases, due to growing tick populations.
Photo via Flickr user Elizabeth Nicodemus

After ploughing through a triple-decker burger with extra bacon and a side of chicken wings, the most extreme post-meal reaction you could probably expect would be the meat sweats. Maybe a minor panic attack when you mentally calculate exactly how much of your weekly calorie intake you just covered in ketchup and wolfed down with extra fries.

But what if you woke up the morning after your meat binge with a rash? Or if your throat started to swell?

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According to Australian-based research group, Tick-induced Allergies Research and Awareness, such anaphylactic reactions to meat could become a lot more commonplace. And it's all down to ticks.

The link between the small arachnid bites and meat allergies first came to light in 2007 after a discovery from allergy specialist Dr. Sheryl van Nunen. The allergic reaction starts to manifest between two and ten hours after eating meat—predominantly red meat—in people who had been bitten by ticks up to six months prior. Symptoms can range from itching to an upset stomach, and in the most severe cases, prove fatal.

Since 2007, cases of the tick-induced allergic reactions to meat have been reported across Europe, Central America, Asia, and Africa. Reports of the allergy have increased recently in parts of Australia and the US, due to the booming tick populations in these countries.

Sorry Aussies, it seems that relaxing beach barbecue could prove more trouble than it's worth.

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According to the Tick-induced Allergies and Research Awareness website, "the allergen in the meat to which people react is called alpha-gal." Sufferers can often be so sensitive to the allergen that they also react to mammal products like milk and gelatin. There's currently no cure for the allergy, except to avoid meat and in extreme case, all meat products.

This may not sound like good news for those of us with low-key fried chicken addictions, but hey, it probably wouldn't hurt to have a few more vegans in the world.