In a tragic and alarming development, a tick-borne condition that makes people allergic to red meat has now led to what researchers say is the first documented death in the United States.
The condition, known as Alpha‑gal syndrome (AGS), is triggered by certain tick bites and can cause severe — even fatal — allergic reactions to mammalian meat. The recent case has brought renewed attention to the growing but still poorly understood threat from ticks.
What Is Alpha-Gal Syndrome?
Alpha-gal syndrome is a form of food allergy that develops after a bite from ticks — most commonly from Lone Star tick in the United States.
Through its bite, the tick can transfer a sugar molecule called “alpha-gal” (galactose-α-1,3-galactose) into the human bloodstream. This sugar is naturally found in most mammals (like cows, pigs, deer), but not in humans.
For reasons scientists do not yet fully understand, the immune system of some people becomes sensitized to alpha-gal after the bite and begins treating it as a threat.
Subsequent exposure to red meat (or other mammal-derived products such as dairy or gelatin) can then trigger an immune response — leading to symptoms such as hives, nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, and in severe cases, life-threatening anaphylaxis.
One of the unusual aspects of AGS is the delay: symptoms typically appear several hours after eating red meat, not immediately as is common with many food allergies. This delay often leads to misdiagnosis or failure to associate the reaction with meat consumption.
The First Confirmed Fatality
The recently reported case involves a 47-year-old man from New Jersey who, until the incident, appeared healthy and active. During the summer of 2024, he ate a hamburger at a barbecue.
Hours later, he collapsed and was found unconscious. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. An initial autopsy revealed no heart attack, no obvious cause — his death was ruled “sudden unexplained.”
Only after a careful re-investigation did researchers suspect a connection to AGS. Blood drawn earlier — but not tested at the time — was located and analyzed.
Tests revealed high levels of antibodies to alpha-gal, alongside dramatically elevated tryptase levels (a marker for severe allergic reactions).
As reported by Forbes, according to the authors, that evidence confirmed that the man’s death was caused by a severe allergic reaction to red meat, brought on by a prior tick bite.
The discovery marks the first documented human death in the U.S. tied directly to a tick-induced red-meat allergy.
Until now, even though AGS had been diagnosed in many individuals, fatal anaphylactic reactions had been considered theoretically possible but never documented — at least not unambiguously.
Rising Tide of Tick-Borne Meat Allergy
Health experts say the timing of this confirmation is alarming but perhaps not surprising. Over the past decade, the incidence of AGS has risen sharply in the U.S.
Between 2010 and 2022, more than 110,000 suspected cases were identified, but because the condition is not nationally reportable, it is believed that many more go undiagnosed. Some public health estimates suggest up to 450,000 Americans could be affected.
There has also been a surge of positive test results in the past few years — a roughly 100-fold increase between 2013 and 2024, according to recent research.
Many of these cases occur in regions where lone star ticks are common: the southern, eastern, and some central parts of the country.
Because tick bites often go unnoticed — especially bites from larvae — and symptoms appear hours after meat consumption, AGS remains under-recognized.
Many people with the syndrome may mistake reactions for food poisoning or gastrointestinal infections, rather than a serious allergy.
Implications for Public Health and Safety
The death of the New Jersey man serves as a stark reminder that AGS is not merely a nuisance or minor inconvenience, but a potentially life-threatening condition.
Given how many people may be unknowingly sensitized, experts emphasize the urgent need for better public and clinical awareness.
Medical professionals — particularly in areas with ticks — need to consider AGS when diagnosing unexplained anaphylaxis, digestive distress, or allergic reactions after meals containing red meat.
For the public, prevention remains critically important. Avoiding tick bites through protective clothing, insect repellent, and careful tick checks after spending time outdoors are key strategies.
Educating oneself about AGS, its delayed reactions, and the fact that it might be triggered by contact with or consumption of mammal-derived products (not just meat) could save lives.
