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Tick-borne illness can cause allergy to red meat

You know that ticks can carry Lyme disease and maybe even the Powassan virus, but there’s a relatively new and rare allergy to red meat that can be brought on by tick bites.

It’s called alpha gal allergy, which is an allergy to mammalian meat, like beef, pork and sheep.

The disease is carried by the Lone Star tick, which, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is common in Pennsylvania.

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Channel 11 contacted researchers at the Penn State College of Agriculture to learn more about the Lone Star tick. They said it’s one of four common ticks in Pennsylvania. All of them are active from early spring to late fall. They’re typically found on deer and will feed on humans.

“The red tick with a white dot in the back, but those ticks start off small,” said Dr. Hilton McDonald, an otolaryngologist. “It may just look like a normal seed tick. It may not look like a Lone Star tick.”

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The alpha gal allergy is not immediate. It takes three to eight hours for the body to have an allergic reaction, which can include whole-body itching, hives and respiratory distress.

Experts said that because of the delayed reaction, many people don’t know they have it. Parents who spoke to Channel 11 said they are glad they are now aware it’s a concern.

“Every night, I’m like, ‘Strip Down.’ That’s what you have to do right now to make sure nothing is embedded in them,” said Dana Bush, a Washington County mother. “I worry about Lyme disease and all the other little things you can get from it (ticks.)”

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