Alpha-gal, a transmissible red meat allergy spread by the lone star tick, may gain a foothold in Canada. Climate change is bringing the U.S.-based tick up north.

Since 2010, more than 100,000 people in the U.S. have developed alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) — the condition that causes the red meat allergy — from a lone star tick bite.

Folks with Alpha-gal are not able to eat just anything. Those who have the disease have to avoid foods like pork and beef, as well as other mammal products.

To understand Alpha-gal syndrome, you first must understand what Alpha-gal is. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, alpha-gal is a sugar molecule found in most mammals, but ...

Alpha-gal syndrome is thought to be triggered by bites from the lone star tick. Emerging evidence suggests other ticks - found in other parts of the country - may also cause it.

Alpha-gal syndrome has also been reported in Europq, Australia and Asia. There's no treatment for the allergy other than avoiding red meat, but for most people, the condition goes away over time.

Alpha-gal syndrome, too, is suspected to be on the rise. Farmers who spend their days outdoors are particularly exposed to lone-star ticks, and repeated bites may cause more severe reactions.

Steak – Red Meat (MarianVejcik-iStockphoto-Getty Images) *New research on alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), a potentially life-threatening allergy to red meat, suggests that its spread may be linked to ...

Alpha-gal syndrome appears to be relatively rare, though exact numbers are hard to pin down. Salzer and her colleagues tallied about 110,000 suspected cases in the United States from 2010 to 2022.