Imagine enjoying a home-cooked steak dinner or a delicious burger at a barbecue and then waking up several hours later with symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting. This is exactly what happened to a man in New Jersey; however, in his case, the worst-case scenario unfolded — he ended up succumbing to this mysterious illness.
His death initially left his doctors and family mystified, but after months of investigation, they eventually discovered the answer: He had a severe allergic reaction to red meat. And the culprit? The lone star tick, whose population is now fast rising in various parts of the U.S.
Healthy Man Mysteriously Dies After Eating Red Meat
Researchers from the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine recently published a report about the bizarre circumstances of a man who succumbed to “red meat allergy.” After months of investigation, their findings were published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice (JACI).1
In the summer of 2024, a 47-year-old New Jersey pilot, who was in good health and had no comorbidities or significant medical history, went on a camping trip with his wife and children. Upon returning home that night, he had a late dinner with his family, with beef as their main dish, then went to bed.2
• The initial symptoms started hours later — The man woke up in the middle of the night complaining of abdominal discomfort — it was so severe that he was “writhing in pain.” He also had diarrhea and vomiting. After a couple of hours, his symptoms improved, and he was able to go back to sleep.
“In the morning, he felt well enough to walk 5 miles and then ate breakfast. Discussing the event with his wife, they considered consulting a doctor but concluded ‘what would we say happened?’ On the other hand, he told one of his sons that during the episode ‘I thought I was going to die.’”3
• The symptoms returned when he ate red meat again — Two weeks after the initial incident, the man and his wife attended a barbecue party, where he consumed a burger at around 3 in the afternoon. Again, for hours he did not feel any symptoms, and was even well enough to mow their lawn. But that night, tragedy struck.
“At 7:20 PM, he went to the bathroom, and by 7:30 PM, their son was on the phone with his mother saying, ‘dad is getting sick again.’ Shortly thereafter he found his father unconscious on the floor of the bathroom with vomit around him; the son called 911 at 7:37 PM and initiated resuscitation.
The paramedics continued resuscitation efforts for 2 hours, which included transferring the patient to hospital, but at 10:22 PM, he was declared dead.”4
• There were no health issues detected — During the autopsy, the medical examiner did not find any significant brain, heart, respiratory, or abdominal abnormalities. His death was deemed inconclusive and the cause of death was reported as “sudden unexplained death.”
However, his wife was not satisfied with the results, and decided to contact Dr. Erin McFeely, a pediatrician based in New Jersey, to review her husband’s autopsy report. McFeely then reached out to Dr. Thomas Platts-Mills, an allergist from the University of Virginia (UVA) Health, as she had suspected it was a condition called alpha-gal syndrome (AGS).5 Platts-Mills, it turns out, is the nation’s primary researcher on AGS, after discovering this condition in the late 2000s.6
• Test results confirmed McFeely’s suspicions — Platts-Mills (who co-authored the JACI paper with McFeely) and a team of doctors then tested the man’s blood for various allergens and discovered that it had been sensitized to alpha-gal molecule. They also found that he had an extreme allergic reaction to the molecule, similar to what’s seen in cases of fatal anaphylaxis — a life-threatening allergic reaction marked by a sudden drop in blood pressure and airway swelling.
“The tragedy is that they didn’t think of that episode as anaphylaxis, and therefore didn’t connect it to the beef at the time,” Platts-Mills said. “The level he had is basically only seen in fatal cases of anaphylaxis. His level was 2,000. The highest level I’ve seen in practice of a person who survived is 100.”7
What Is Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS)?
Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) was formally defined in 2009, although its discovery began in 2007.8 It all started when a new type of cancer drug, called Cetuximab, caused several patients to develop allergic symptoms to the medication, even though it had no previously recognized allergens.
• Further investigations revealed a surprising outcome — The researchers discovered other people in the general population who had the same reactions. However, what’s puzzling is that these patients had never been administered Cetuximab. Yet they also demonstrated an allergic reaction in the absence of a known allergen exposure.
• So what did these two groups of people have in common? Apparently, nearly all of the affected patients reported becoming ill after eating certain red meats such as beef, pork, or lamb.
• The people were responding to a specific sugar in the drug — This was the carbohydrate molecule alpha-gal, also known as galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose. This same molecule is naturally present in the tissues of all mammals except humans and a few primate species.
While it’s often described as a “red meat allergy,” the more accurate description for AGS is a mammalian meat allergy. This mislabeling often creates confusion, leading people with AGS — and even some healthcare providers — to mistakenly assume that the allergy also applies to non-mammalian red meats such as ostrich and emu.9
What Do Ticks Have to Do with AGS?
In their investigation, the researchers found another surprising link between the patients who reacted to Cetuximab and the non-medicated group: They had a history of one or more tick bites. In particular, the bite of the lone star tick was associated with the development of an allergy to the alpha-gal molecule.
• Basic facts about the lone star tick — Found throughout the southeastern and eastern United States, as well as in Mexico and parts of Canada, the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) is easily recognized by the distinctive single white spot on its back, which gives it its name. It is also referred to as the northeastern water tick or the turkey tick.
The lone star tick typically inhabits wooded environments, especially regions populated by white-tailed deer. It also thrives in transitional zones between forests and grasslands. Like deer ticks and other tick species, it uses dense underbrush or tall grasses as cover to latch onto passing hosts.10
• How does a tick bite lead to AGS? Alpha-gal is found in the blood of mammals like deer, goats, cows, and pigs; so when ticks feed on these mammals, the sugar is transferred into their saliva. And when the tick bites humans, it introduces alpha-gal into the person’s bloodstream. This exposure sensitizes the immune system, prompting the body to produce antibodies against the molecule and setting the stage for an allergic reaction.
The side effects include hives, swelling, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea,11 and, as the featured report highlighted, fatal anaphylaxis.
• The New Jersey pilot had a history of lone star tick exposure — Before he had the first allergic reaction, the man reportedly went on a camping trip with his family. Although the location was undisclosed, it’s possible that lone star ticks were prevalent in the campsite.
This was confirmed when the wife told the UVA researchers that her husband had 12 to 13 bites on his ankles. She initially suspected chiggers (microscopic mite larvae) to be the culprit; however, the researchers suspect that these marks came from lone star tick larvae.12
The researchers also noted that the beer the man consumed and exposure to ragweed pollen on the day of his death might have amplified the severity of the immune response.
AGS Is Now on the Rise
Today, experts are warning that AGS is becoming a growing public health concern. In 2009 when it was first discovered, the cases started out at just 12. Ten years later, in 2019, the documented cases ballooned to more than 34,000.13 By 2022, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recorded a whopping 110,229 cases of AGS — although they suspect the cases could be as high as 450,000.14,15
• Areas with the highest cases — As with many tick-borne conditions, the highest rates of AGS occur in regions where the primary vector (in this case, the lone star tick) is most prevalent. In the southeastern United States, where this tick is well established, up to 20% of the population shows evidence of alpha-gal antibodies, and as many as 3% of certain groups meet the criteria for AGS.
“The geographic distribution of AGS is very similar to that of ehrlichiosis, caused by Ehrlichia chaffeensis and E. ewingii, disease agents also known to be transmitted by the lone star tick,” the CDC said.16
• A recent study finds an “explosive rise” in AGS cases — Presented by researchers from the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) at the American College of Gastroenterology’s 2025 annual scientific meeting, their findings report a 100-fold increase in positive test results for alpha-gal antibodies between 2013 and 2024. To date, this is one of the biggest real-world analyses concerning AGS (though the findings are preliminary).17
• The lone star tick’s range continues to expand — Cases of AGS are now appearing more frequently in northeastern and western states. Because the condition is still relatively new and symptoms can mimic other disorders, it is likely that many cases remain unreported or are misdiagnosed. In fact, in a survey conducted on 1,500 health care providers, 42% respondents said that they have never heard of alpha-gal syndrome, while 35% were not confident that they can accurately diagnose it.18
• There is currently no cure for alpha-gal syndrome — However, in some patients their sensitivity may lessen enough to tolerate alpha-gal-containing foods again, provided, of course, that they avoid additional tick bites.
In the meantime, health experts recommend that individuals with an alpha-gal allergy to strictly avoid all mammalian meats and products derived from these animals. This includes milk, cheese, gelatin, natural sausage casings. Even certain medications that may contain mammalian by-products are advised to be avoided.
How to Stay Protected from Tick Bites When Going Outdoors
Platts-Mills advises those living in states where the deer population is exploding to remain vigilant about this growing health issue. “It is important that both doctors and patients who live in an area of the country where Lone Star ticks are common should be aware of the risk of sensitization,” he said.19
Other tick species have also been tied to alpha-gal syndrome — these include deer ticks and western black-legged ticks, which are notorious carriers of Lyme disease and other illnesses. In fact, testing has shown that nearly one in four black-legged ticks carry multiple infectious pathogens.20 Hence, the best strategy is to stay protected against all types of ticks to reduce your risk of infection. Below are some vital guidelines I recommend to help you avoid AGS and other tick-borne diseases:
• Avoid tick habitats as much as possible — Ticks are commonly found in wooded, bushy, or grassy areas. If you’re going outdoors, such as camping or hiking, stick to the center of trails to avoid brushing against vegetation where ticks may be waiting.
• Wear protective clothing — Long sleeves, long pants, and long socks are your best options. Keep your shirt tucked into your pants and your pants tucked into your socks so ticks will not find their way onto your skin. Wear light-colored clothing; this will help you spot ticks more easily.
• Check for ticks when you get home — After spending time in tick-infested areas, thoroughly check your body for ticks. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body and remove any ticks you find. Inspect your clothing, gear, and pets as well, as ticks can ride into the home on these and then attach to a person later.
A sticky lint roller is a handy tool as well — run it over your clothes and pets the moment you return indoors. In just a few swipes, you’ll pull off ticks before they embed, especially if they’re still crawling.
• Shower soon after being outdoors — Shower within two hours of coming indoors to wash off unattached ticks and reduce your risk of diseases.
• Maintain your yard — Mow your lawn frequently and keep leaves raked. Clear tall grasses and brush around your home and at the edge of your lawn. Consider placing a 3-foot-wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between your lawn and wooded areas to restrict tick migration into recreational areas.
• Protect your pets — Dogs are very susceptible to tick bites and can also bring ticks into your home. Talk to your integrative veterinarian about the best tick prevention products for your pet.
• Use a safe insect repellent — Avoid products that use DEET, which has been linked to various side effects. Instead, consider natural options like lemon eucalyptus oil, neem oil, and cedar oil to ward off ticks and other insects.
What to Do if You Find a Tick on Your Skin
One of the reasons why tick-borne diseases are now so rampant is because many people are unaware of how to properly remove and dispose of a tick clinging to their skin. It’s important to remember that old-fashioned methods like burning the tick or drowning it in nail polish don’t just fail to remove it effectively, but actually increase the risk of infection.
• Grabbing the wrong part of the insect increases your risk of infection — Ticks are often smaller than a sesame seed, meaning your fingers or even large tweezers cannot remove them properly. And if you accidentally squeeze the tick, you can end up emptying pathogens in its body into your skin.
• The best tool for the job is a fine-tip tweezer — Use it to grab the tick as close to your skin as possible, right at the mouth where it’s embedded. Then, pull upward using slow, even pressure. Don’t twist or yank the tick, or it will break apart and end up embedding more material into your skin.
• Disposal matters, too — Don’t be tempted to crush the removed tick with your bare fingers — this will cause its blood, gut bacteria, and saliva to empty all over your skin. Instead, wrap the tick in tape and toss it in the trash, flush it down the toilet or submerge it in alcohol.
Remember, what you do in those first few minutes after a tick has bitten you either protects you or exposes you to diseases. For a more detailed explanation on the dos and don’ts of tick removal, I recommend reading “The Best and Worst Way to Remove a Tick.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Alpha-Gal Syndrome
Q: What is alpha-gal syndrome (AGS)?
A: Alpha-gal syndrome is a delayed allergic reaction to the sugar alpha-gal (galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose), which is found in the tissues of most mammals. People with AGS typically react to mammalian meats — like beef, pork, and lamb — and sometimes to dairy or products containing mammalian-derived ingredients.
The allergy was formally defined in 2009 after researchers discovered that certain unexplained allergic reactions, including reactions to the cancer drug Cetuximab, were caused by sensitivity to the alpha-gal molecule.
Q: How do tick bites cause AGS?
A: AGS is most often triggered by the bite of the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum). These ticks carry alpha-gal in their saliva after feeding on mammals. When they bite humans, they introduce the molecule into the bloodstream, which sensitizes the immune system and leads to the development of alpha-gal antibodies. Future exposure — such as eating red meat — can then trigger symptoms ranging from hives to fatal anaphylaxis.
Q: Is AGS becoming more common?
A: Yes. AGS is rapidly increasing across the United States. Documented cases rose from just 12 in 2009 to over 34,000 by 2019, and more than 110,000 cases were recorded by the CDC in 2022, with estimates suggesting the real number may exceed 450,000. Researchers have also reported a 100-fold increase in alpha-gal antibody test results between 2013 and 2024. As the lone star tick’s range expands, more cases are appearing in the Northeast and western states.
Q: What happened in the first recorded fatality from AGS?
A: In 2024, a 47-year-old New Jersey man experienced severe delayed allergic reactions after eating beef. After a second exposure to red meat, he suffered a fatal anaphylactic reaction. Months later, testing confirmed extremely high sensitivity to the alpha-gal molecule — levels typically seen only in fatal anaphylaxis cases. He had recently been camping and was found to have 12 to 13 suspected lone star tick bites on his ankles.
Q: How can people protect themselves from tick bites and AGS?
A: Prevention focuses on avoiding tick bites altogether. Recommended strategies include wearing long sleeves and pants, using safe repellents (like lemon eucalyptus or cedar oil), avoiding brushy or grassy areas, checking your body and clothing thoroughly after being outdoors, showering within two hours of returning indoors, and maintaining yards to reduce tick habitats. Proper tick removal with fine-tipped tweezers is essential — burning or suffocating ticks increases the risk of infection.
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