How does a tick bite cause a red meat allergy?

For two decades, a perplexing illness has been spreading: After a lone-star tick bite, people find themselves with a severe allergic reaction to red meat. The CDC estimates up to 450,000 people in the U.S. may be affected with alpha-gal syndrome, up from just a few dozen documented cases in 2009. New research finds that in some states, more than 30% of people are positive for alpha-gal antibodies—but not all of them have the syndrome.

Flora speaks with allergist Scott Commins, who has studied alpha-gal syndrome for nearly 20 years, to unpack this finding and next frontiers for treatment.

Guest:

Dr. Scott Commins is the William J. Yount Distinguished Professor of Medicine and associate chief for allergy and immunology at the UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 

Other episodes you may enjoy:

• Instead Of A Vaccine For Lyme, How About A Vaccine For Ticks?
• Why Don’t We Have A Vaccine For Lyme Disease?

Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com.

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