Incurable disease causing meat allergy sees ‘explosive rise’ across U.S., including in Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- A once-rare disease that causes a person to develop a severe allergy to red meat is seeing an "explosive rise" across America, including in Virginia.

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) report that more and more people throughout the United States are contracting alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), a tick-borne disease. Specifically, they found that there has been a 100-fold increase in cases between 2013 and 2024.

Data shows that this was driven in part by a recent spike in cases, with AGS' incidence rate rising from 23.46% to 94.06% between 2021-22 and 2023-24, respectively.

“Alpha-gal syndrome has gone from a medical curiosity to a major public health issue in just a decade,” said Vinay Jahagirdar, M.D., the study’s co-author, in an Oct. 30 press release from VCU Health.

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AGS is typically linked to the lone star tick, which can be found throughout Virginia. The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) describes it as an "aggressive biter" that can be identified by the white dot, or "lone star," on its back.

A live specimen of the lone star tick (A. Americanum) in a lab in Morrill Hall at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2017. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

While lone star ticks -- and therefore AGS -- were largely confined to southeastern states in the past, their reach has expanded both north and south in recent years.

After a person is bitten by an infected tick, their immune system develops antibodies to the sugar molecule galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, which is found in the meat of mammals like beef, pork or lamb.

The allergic response can cause a variety of symptoms, including hives, swelling, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. It can even cause a person to go into anaphylaxis shock -- a life-threatening state where a patient's throat closes up, preventing them from breathing.

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Many with AGS primarily experience the listed gastrointestinal symptoms -- and they are often delayed. This can make it difficult for a person, or their doctor, to realize they have AGS. They may instead think it's a digestive disorder like irritable bowel syndrome or a bad case of food poisoning.

“Alpha-gal syndrome is unlike any other food allergy we treat,” Jahagirdar said. "Symptoms often appear several hours after a person eats red meat, making it difficult to connect a meal with an allergic reaction. Many patients are misdiagnosed or go years without answers."

It's because of this uncertainty that education and awareness are so important, VCU Health said -- especially given that AGS is on such a steep rise.

“The spread of ticks is bringing new allergic diseases to areas where doctors and patients may not expect them," said Ravi Vachhani, M.D., another co-author in the study, in the release. "Recognizing this connection is key to protecting public health.”

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AGS is, unfortunately, incurable -- though avoiding further tick bites may help antibody levels decrease over time, per VCU Health. Those who have contracted it can mitigate symptoms by avoiding red meat and, in some more sensitive cases, dairy products and/or gelatin.

You can find more information on ticks, including tips on how to avoid being bitten and guidance on how to remove one if it does bite you, by visiting the VDH's website.