Bug bites are not fun. Tick bites are especially not fun for obvious reasons. We try to warn you when new things come about like this, so here's a health alert for you!

NPR reported that far as ticks go, there's a specific kind of tick called the 'Lone Star tick' that will cause you to develop a red meat allergy. This information comes from an allergist and associate professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

He says it is a meat allergy, but about 15 to 20 percent of patients with the alpha-gal allergy also report getting symptoms from dairy, especially high-fat dairy such as ice cream.

"There's still a lot to learn about the alpha-gal allergy. Alpha gal is a sugar that animals — including cows, pigs and lamb — make in their bodies. "

Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Central New York is included in the area where this is occurring, according to the map above. Make sure you bring bug spray to the areas where you know you can expect ticks, especially if you love meat and dairy as much as I do. I can't imagine what it would be like to develop this allergy. I would be super sad.

"In the U.S., the Lone Star tick has expanded its range beyond the Southeast, and there are documented cases of alpha gal meat allergies farther north — including New York, Maine and Minnesota."

Lone Star ticks are found mostly in woodlands with dense undergrowth and around animal resting areas. Adults are active April- late August and can be found on the hunt for larger animals, such as dogs, coyotes, deer, cattle and humans on tall grass in shade or at the tips of low lying branches and twigs.

Be careful out there, friends.

[NPR]

 

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