UVA researchers confirm first known death from tick-related ‘meat allergy’ in New Jersey man
NEW JERSEY – University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have identified the first known death linked to the tick-borne “meat allergy,” a condition caused by sensitization to alpha-gal following bites from the Lone Star tick.
A healthy 47-year-old New Jersey man died suddenly in 2024 after eating a hamburger, marking the first documented fatality associated with the allergy. The cause of his death had remained unknown until UVA Health allergist Dr. Thomas Platts-Mills, the scientist who discovered the alpha-gal allergy, investigated.
“The important information for the public is: First, that severe abdominal pain occurring 3 to 5 hours after eating beef, pork or lamb should be investigated as a possible episode of anaphylaxis; and, second, that tick bites that itch for more than a week or larvae of ticks often called ‘chiggers’ can induce or increase sensitization to mammalian-derived meat,” said Platts-Mills, former chief of UVA Health’s Division of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology. “On the other hand, most individuals who have mild to moderate episodes of hives can control symptoms with an appropriate diet.”
A sudden and unexplained death
The man, whose name was not released, had gone camping with his family in summer 2024. After eating a late steak dinner one night, he awoke hours later with severe abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea — symptoms he later told his son made him feel as though he “was going to die.”
Two weeks later, unaware he had developed the alpha-gal allergy, he ate a hamburger at a barbecue. He collapsed shortly after and was pronounced dead. The autopsy listed the cause as “sudden unexplained death.”
Unsatisfied with the inconclusive findings, the man’s widow sought further review. The case eventually reached Platts-Mills’ team, which tested post-mortem blood samples and discovered the man had been sensitized to alpha-gal. The bloodwork also indicated an extreme reaction consistent with fatal anaphylaxis.
Although the man was not known to have recent tick bites, his wife reported that he had suffered “12 or 13 chigger bites” around his ankles that summer. Platts-Mills noted that many so-called chigger bites in the Eastern U.S. are actually from Lone Star tick larvae, the only ticks known to transmit the sugar molecule that causes the allergy.
Researchers believe several factors may have worsened the man’s reaction, including drinking beer with the meal, exposure to ragweed pollen and exercising earlier that day. His family also said he rarely ate red meat, which may have contributed to the severity of the response.
Rising tick populations, rising risk
Platts-Mills warned that a growing deer population in many states is accelerating the spread of Lone Star ticks and increasing the risk of new cases.
“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. “More specifically, if they have unexpected episodes of severe abdominal pain occurring several hours after eating mammalian meat, they should be investigated for possible sensitization to the oligosaccharide alpha-gal.”
Research published
The case report was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice and is available open access. The paper was authored by Platts-Mills, Lisa J. Workman, Nathan E. Richards, Jeffrey M. Wilson and Erin M. McFeely. The team obtained consent from the man’s widow before publishing their findings.
The discovery confirms longstanding concerns from researchers that the alpha-gal allergy, often called “meat allergy,” can in rare but severe cases be fatal.
The CDC says the best way to protect against AGS is to prevent tick bites. That includes knowing where ticks are commonly found, such as wooded or brushy areas; treating clothing and gear with products containing the insecticide permethrin; and walking in the center of trails rather than along the edges.
