Ebola: Symptoms, treatment, and causes

Why Are Alpha-Gal Cases Increasing In Oklahoma? What To Know About The Tick-caused Allergy

While Oklahomans are used to ticks and other creepy crawlies that come with spending time outdoors, public health officials warn you shouldn't skip the bug spray.

Ticks, parasitic arachnids that feed on the blood of animals and humans, are known for their tendency to spread diseases. While most people are concerned about Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said an allergic reaction linked to tick bites is on the rise in Oklahoma and other states.

Here's everything you need to know about alpha-gal syndrome, including symptoms and why Oklahoma is seeing more cases than other areas of the country.

What is alpha-gal syndrome?

Hives on her arm are a "typical daily reaction" from alpha-gal syndrome, Jaclynn Scott said.

To understand Alpha-gal syndrome, you first must understand what Alpha-gal is. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, alpha-gal is a sugar molecule found in most mammals, but not in people. It is also not found in fish, reptiles or birds.

The molecule is also found in the meat (pork, beef, rabbit, lamb, venison, etc.) and products made from mammals, like gelatin, cow's milk, and milk products.

Alpha-gal syndrome is an allergic condition — also known as alpha-gal allergy, red meat allergy, or tick bite meat allergy — associated with a bite from a lone star tick. Serious and potentially life-threatening symptoms occur after people eat red meat or are exposed to other products containing the alpha-gal molecule, the CDC said.

Alpha-gal syndrome symptoms

Symptoms can vary from person to person, ranging from mild to severe to life-threatening, the CDC said.

In a person with alpha-gal syndrome, symptoms typically appear two to six hours after eating or being exposed to the molecule, and can include:

Hives or itchy rash

Nausea or vomiting

Heartburn or indigestion

Diarrhea

Cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing

Drop in blood pressure

Swelling of the lips, throat, tongue, or eye lids

Dizziness or faintness

Severe stomach pain

What tick spreads alpha-gal syndrome?

The Lone Star tick

In the United States, evidence points to most alpha-gal cases stemming from the bite of the lone star tick, but other ticks have not been ruled out.

Other ticks have been associated with alpha-gal syndrome in other countries, the CDC said. Research is still needed to understand the role ticks play in passing along the condition, and why some people develop alpha-gal syndrome and others don't.

Why are more Oklahomans getting alpha-gal syndrome?

A study released by the CDC in 2023 revealed that Oklahoma has some of the highest rates of alpha-gal syndrome in the country, specifically northeast Oklahoma.

"The highest prevalences of suspected cases were found throughout a nearly contiguous region of the southern, midwestern, and mid-Atlantic United States," the CDC said, "particularly parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware."

The areas where alpha-gal syndrome was most prevalent largely aligned with areas where the lone star tick is known to be established or reported.

Between 2017 and 2021, the number of positive test results for alpha-gal syndrome increased annually, according to the CDC study.

How is alpha-gal syndrome treated?

Cattle are shown in a green pasture field in Western Canadian County, near Geary, Oklahoma, Saturday, June 23, 2007. By Bill Waugh, The Oklahoman.

There is no direct treatment for alpha-gal syndrome other than avoiding foods that set off an allergic reaction, according to the Oklahoma State University Extension Office.

If you have alpha-gal syndrome and experience serious anaphylactic reactions, you should carry an EpiPen.

Does alpha-gal syndrome last forever?

While many people experience the allergic reaction for years, alpha-gal syndrome can eventually fade, the OSU Extension Office said.

However, the reaction can be re-activated if the person is re-exposed to tick bites.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: What is Alpha-Gal syndrome? Why are cases increasing in Oklahoma?

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How A Tick Bite Can Give You A Red Meat Allergy

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I Thought Lyme Disease Was The Worst Ticks Spread, Then I Got Alpha-Gal Syndrome

At the age of 11, my family didn't fret over my sudden complaint of intense nausea and stomach cramps after eating a cheeseburger and fries. My symptoms showed up four hours after we'd grabbed fast food, breaking the expected pattern for food poisoning. Plus, no one else in the family had developed similar problems despite having the same meal.

Unfortunately my symptoms persisted for months after that initial cheeseburger — and eventually my parents took me to the pediatrician. The best my provider came up with? A new intolerance to red meat. It wasn't considered too abnormal; people's digestive systems do change with age. They reasoned I shouldn't have further problems as long as I avoided beef.

How it Started

For 33 years, I continued to suffer GI problems — even with the diet change. I cut out red meat, but strange symptoms continued to surface. I never felt quite right, battling stabbing pains throughout my abdomen that cropped up at odd hours. In particular, I often woke in the middle of the night, curled up around a cramping stomach, spitting up bile alternated with waves of nausea. Diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) at 17, the heartburn intensified and reached higher and higher, eventually affecting my larynx and turning my voice harsh.

From 2003 to 2014, I progressed from taking antacids to H-2 blockers to proton pump inhibitors, none of which worked for very long. Eventually I lost my appetite for most meals, and meat was no longer my only problem. Food diaries requested by my gastroenterologists revealed no pattern for the stomach upset. One day, it seemed chicken was to blame for my nausea. The next, it looked more like mayonnaise was the issue. One week, I seemed to tolerate bread, but then it caused massive cramping the next. I eliminated more and more foods from my diet, hoping for some kind of relief — without success.

Ondansetron (an anti-nausea medication) became my go-to to quell the symptoms, while doctors ordered an endless string of tests: Lab work to check for Crohn's, Celiac disease, or deficiencies in B vitamins; barium swallows to examine the structure of my esophagus; CT scans of my GI tract, liver, pancreas, and stomach; colonoscopies; an ambulatory acid probe to determine the severity of my reflux; esophageal manometry to test the muscle strength of my swallow; and a gastric emptying test to ensure I wasn't retaining food in my stomach. Everything came back normal — or at least not abnormal enough to worry about.

In 2015, a surgeon performed Nissen fundoplication to address the GERD. The surgery involved looping the upper part of my stomach around my esophagus and closing the lower sphincter and preventing reflux. Still, my stomach pain and nausea persisted.

The Alpha-Gal Syndrome Diagnosis

In 2022, I discovered a new potential diagnosis: alpha-gal syndrome. I came across an IG conversation with Janine K. Spendlove, a science-fiction author, pilot, and alpha-gal patient where she discussed her symptoms and answered questions about AGS. I didn't know much about the condition prior to this. But her experience resonated with me and after the talk, I did some research to learn more about the condition.

"Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is a serious food allergy to red meat. It occurs most often in adults bitten by certain types of ticks," according to the Cleveland Clinic. Symptoms can include, but are not limited to, gastrointestinal problems, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, heartburn, nausea, indigestion, muscle cramps, nausea, and vomiting.

Naturally, I'd been wary of ticks growing up. But so long as I never saw a resulting bull's eye develop on my skin, I never paid attention to what ticks I removed.

After doing my own research and connecting with Janine to learn more, I decided to get tested. When I brought up alpha-gal syndrome to my doctor, she'd never heard of the condition. I'm not sure she would have known what labs to order if I hadn't looked up the test code before my appointment. But LapCorp provided a complete explanation, and I had no trouble taking the test orders over the same day.

With my previous history of extensive testing, I expected AGS to be complicated to diagnose. But all I needed was a simple blood test. In four days, the results came back confirming I wasn't crazy, my GI tract was at fault (sort of, considering it suffered the allergic reaction), and there had been something wrong with me for the majority of my life.

How I Took Control of My Alpha-Gal Syndrome

I've changed my diet completely since learning about AGS. Not only have I cut out all mammals (previously, I had eliminated beef, but not pork), but all products made from mammals, too. This means gelatin and glycerin, collagen (something I'd been adding to my morning smoothies for years), and whey (another big ingredient in almost everything I ate). Most of my diet is now plant-based (although I tried — and enjoyed! —duck for the first time on a cruise).

I also learned that I needed to avoid cross-contamination. If I ate an Impossible Burger from a grill used to cook a beef patty or fry bacon, I'd still be exposed to the meat. The same is true for chicken or French fries cooked in oil beside the grill.

On a day-to-day basis navigating the condition can be pretty cumbersome. I often get furrowed brows and strange looks when I show someone the allergy card I made to explain my diet needs. I have to order vegan versions of my supplements and medications. Servers spend extra time with me on the rare occasions when I eat out, as I ask about ingredients and request that my food be cooked separately. People stare as I read ingredient labels everywhere — and often reject popular food items.

But it's all worth it when it means my body digests food without a problem. I haven't been nauseous in four months, and I don't wake up with stomach pain or abdominal cramps. When my gastroenterologist asked how I felt at my most recent recheck in mid-March, I smiled and said, "Normal?"

My advice for others struggling to find answers about your health? Never stop pushing. You know your body better than anyone.

Andria Kennedy is a Virginia-based freelance writer. In addition to POPSUGAR, her work has appeared in The Strategist, Electric Lit, HuffPost Personal, and elsewhere. She's an award-winning speculative-fiction writer and, as a Spoonie herself, advocates for better recognition and research for invisible illnesses.

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