The bug known as the lone star tick produces severe, allergic reactions to red meat. This insect has become quite common in the Washington DC area.
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Lethal bite
The lone star tick, so called for the distinctive white spot on its back, is primarily found in the southeastern United States and Mexico. In recent years however, they have been sighted more often in northern states and in Canada.
It has gained notoriety for its ability to cause people to develop a lifelong allergy to alpha-gal, the carbohydrate found in red meat. Alpha-gal syndrome causes allergic reactions such as hives, skin rash, vomiting and diarrhoea.
This allergy has no known cure to the allergy and those who develop it are advised to avoid red meat. An associate professor of entomology at the University of Manitoba, Kateryn Rochon explains:
The allergy does not occur with all bites, and while we know what people become allergic to, we don’t have a good grasp of what causes some Lone Star ticks to cause this allergy.
Mystery
Not everyone is prone to developing this allergy if bitten by this tick. As of now, not much is known about why portions of the population are susceptible to this while others aren’t.
The Washington Post reports of a competitive barbecue cook who can’t eat or taste the meat he prepares any more after being bitten five years ago. Keith Tremel tells the news outlet:
Before my diagnosis, I loved bacon cheeseburgers. My wife and two kids both like bacon, and my son enjoys steak, so cooking that for them can be a little bit of torture.
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