Ticks that cause red meat allergies are spreading, and invasive fire ants may be our best hope
The lone star tick, common in the southeastern areas of the country, is a frequent carrier of the alpha-gal molecule. It can cause a meat allergy in humans. (NIAID /)If you’ve ever woken up at midnight with itchy hives, swelling, stomach pain, or trouble breathing with no idea about the cause, there’s a chance last night’s steak could be the culprit. Allergies to meat are rare, but one way they can happen is by getting bitten by a tick that happens to have a molecule in its saliva called alpha-gal. The substance—known scientifically as galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose—is a carbohydrate found in most mammalian cells except for humans, apes, and monkeys. The lone star tick, common in the southeastern areas of the country, is a frequent carrier of the alpha-gal molecule. Bites from these ticks send alpha-gal molecules into a person’s blood, and in some folks, causes a slow but potentially intense allergic reaction. Because...