Up to ten million Americans may suffer from the rare Alpha-gal Syndrome –

It is estimated that up to ten million Americans may suffer from a red meat allergy from tick bites, but many cases go undiagnosed as symptoms can take up to 12 hours to develop.

Alpha-bile syndrome is caused by the bite of the lone star tick – identified by the white spot on its back – that normally lives in woodlands in the eastern United States. But the bites of other ticks can also cause it.

Dr. Jonathan Oliver, a public health expert at the University of Minnesota, told DailyMail.com that the beetle’s saliva contains molecules similar to those found in red meat. This means that when the immune system attacks saliva, it also develops cells that target allergy-inducing red meat molecules.

Oliver said most tick bites do not cause the condition, but he cautioned that being bitten more often increases the risk of developing the condition.

Patients experience symptoms such as hives, severe abdominal pain and swelling of the lips a few hours after eating red meat. In severe cases, it can also cause anaphylactic shock or a severe immune reaction that can be fatal.

Treatment focuses on preventing tick bites and taking medication to control allergic reactions.

The AGS awareness campaign says up to three percent of Americans — or nearly ten million people — may be suffering in some areas, but the vast majority go undiagnosed.

Other ticks can also cause disease. Scientists are investigating whether the black-legged tick (left) is behind some cases. Has a larger ranger than a lone star (right)

Pictured above is the lone star tick (left), which is associated with most cases of AGS. Other tick species, including the black-legged tick (right), can also cause the condition, it has been suggested.

An AGS article published last year on Cellular Microbiology and Frontiers in Infection also says that up to three percent of the population has the condition.

Fewer than one million cases have been diagnosed to date in the United States.

Oliver, who studies tick-borne diseases, said that as allergy awareness increases, more allergy sufferers are noticed every year.

“There’s usually a significant delay between when you eat red meat and when you get sick, perhaps eight to 12 hours,” she explains.

“So people don’t usually make the connection that they’re reacting to red meat they ate the night before or very early in the day.”

He said the vast majority of cases appear to be related to the lone star tick, which lives in “high-density” forests.

However, there are also clusters outside of its native range that can originate from a species of deer tick, which is the black-legged tick.

Other types of ticks are still under investigation and in some countries different types of ticks are responsible for allergies.

Most bites don’t cause allergies, Oliver said, but it’s best to avoid being bitten if possible.

“There are definitely a lot more Lone Star tick bites per year, so the chance of getting it from a single bite is pretty low,” he said.

“But the people at highest risk are those who are bitten most often by ticks.”

Scientists still don’t know what causes the condition, although it appears to be linked to a response to molecules in tick saliva.

Explaining that the immune system that causes allergies can be similar to that of red meat, Oliver said, “It’s not as much an allergy as you are innocent. [what causes it]†

“Instead, it’s like an entire class of compounds that somehow triggers it.”

People with allergies can still eat fish and chicken.

Symptoms of the condition include hives or an itchy rash, nausea, and swelling of the lips, throat, tongue, or eyelids.

In rare cases, it can also lead to anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal condition in which a severe allergic reaction occurs.

The CDC recommends that people avoid the condition by avoiding tick bites.

This means staying away from grassy, ​​dense or wooded areas where insects can hide, and carefully checking yourself for ticks once they enter.

Patients are advised to avoid red meat, which may trigger their condition, and to avoid animal products that may trigger an allergic reaction, such as cow’s milk and Haribo.

Oliver said: “There’s so much unknown about this disease, it’s really hard to know which combination or protein causes AGS, whether infection with other tick-borne diseases modifies the allergy, etc.

“We also need to identify other types of ticks that can cause it and under what conditions they cause it.

“There is a lot of work to be done”.

Allergy, in 2001 University of Virginia professor of medicine Dr. It was discovered when Thomas Platts-Mills was working on a monoclonal antibody drug when he noticed that it caused anaphylaxis in some patients.

After a person was not treated with a drug called Cetuximab, one study found that antibodies were attacked by a person in the body.

Closer examination revealed that the drug’s antibodies contained AGS because they were cultured from animal cells.

Perhaps the most famous person to publicly admit to having AGS is mystery writer John Grisham, who caught it after a tick bite and stopped eating meat.