I am seeing more and more patients who have Alpha Gal Syndrome and you need to know what this is. What is Alpha Gal? Keep reading…
Alpha Gal Syndrome occurs after being bit by a specific tick, the Lone Star tick and developing an allergy to meat! This tick got its’ name because the adult female has a distinctive white or silvery spot on her back that resembles a lone star. However, the male ticks which do not have the white spot can also transmit the disease. I know, I know. If you are a sooner fan one more thing to hold against Texas! LOL. However, this tick is found in most southern regions certainly not just Texas and really has nothing to do with Texas. Besides the southern states, they are also being reported in other states like Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and are on the move…. You should know the white-tail deer is thought to be one of the carriers.
The number of cases of Alpha-Gal are sky-rocketing partly due to availability of testing but also due to climate change. In 2010-2018 there were 34,000 suspected cases of Alpha Gal Syndrome and now some reports are now saying there are about 450,000 cases suspected of active alpha gal syndrome today! CDC reports cases are climbing yearly.
Lone star ticks can carry many different pathogens that can cause disease but just because you have been bit by one does not mean you will have a problem. Let’s look at some of the diseases these ticks carry and symptoms to tip you off that you may have been bitten. The worst part of all of these diseases is that most people do not even know they have had a tick bite!!! READ ON….
Lone star ticks can carry a Borrelia strain that causes Tick Borne Relapsing Fever but not the strain that causes true Lyme disease. However, the symptoms can often be similar with fatigue, joint pain and recurrent fevers. Treatment options include antibiotics and a special IV therapy called Q-REstrain.
Another disease Lone star ticks can carry is Ehrlichiosis which is a bacteria. Again, symptoms can mimic true Lyme and be vague with joint pain, fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, cough, confusion or very mild symptoms where you don’t even realize you had an issue. This can typically be addressed with antibiotics. Other ticks can also carry this bacteria beside the Lone star tick.
Tularemia is an infectious disease that is spread by ticks (several different kinds of ticks) and other insects and can even occur if handling an infected animal that is dead or alive. Symptoms can be significant with swelling of the lymph nodes, high fever, ulcers at the infection site and even pneumonia. Inflammation can be quite high with this and can affect the brain, the heart and the bones. Treatment is usually centered around antibiotics.
Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI) causes circular rashes which is often mistaken for the “bull’s eye” rash associated with true Lyme. Symptoms include fatigue, headaches, fevers and muscle pain. Again, all can be associated with true Lyme but it isn’t.
Lone star ticks can also carry a nasty virus called Heartland Virus. This can look a lot like Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis with symptoms including fever, fatigue, diarrhea, muscle, joint pain, headache and nausea. This is often accompanied by low white blood cell counts. This virus has been found in a lot of the midwestern states including Oklahoma recently! There is no treatment for this virus so treatment is supportive care.
And if all of those don’t make you just cringe when you hear about a Lone Star tick there is one more disease called Alpha-Gal Syndrome. When bitten by the tick it transmits a molecule called alpha-gal (galactose-a-1,3-galactose) which causes an allergic reaction to red meat. Translate that into anything made from a cow (anything dairy, etc) and often extends into pork and other mammals. This allergy doesn’t come along quickly and can take months to develop further complicating the diagnosis. Symptoms are all over the place with sudden onset of hives, shortness of breath, diarrhea, low blood pressure and I have seen heart rate abnormalities all after eating red meat or anything with an animal byproduct. There is no treatment for this currently except avoiding all animal protein. The tricky and difficult thing is this is not obvious and not as simple as just avoiding steak. So many of our medications, supplements and foods have bovine (cow) byproducts and they are not marked! For example, gelatin that is used in a lot of supplement capsules can be from cow (not always), calcium can be derived from a cow and there is so much more as well as many medication ingredients….
There is an unusual treatment called SAAC (Soliman Auricular Allergy Treatment) therapy which consists of placing small needles (acupuncture) inside the ear which are left there for typically 21 days. This has provided relief for some patients. Before you say you would never do this, people who have alpha-gal are typically miserable and need to explore all options! I have also tried the medication Cromolyn to reduce allergic reactions and LDN (low dose naltrexone) to decrease the immune response which has been helpful in some patients.
Supposedly, this is a self-limiting disease that lasts 2-3 years but I have patients who have had this for 8 plus years and still going….
If you have a sudden onset of hives, difficulty breathing, sudden drop in blood pressure, diarrhea, coughing or anaphylaxis and everything else has been ruled out ask for the blood test for alpha gal. There is testing thru regular labs that can help diagnosis this!
To your health,
Laura
