"A Half-Million Americans May Have Tick-Linked Meat Allergy, C.D.C. Says"

"Many doctors said that they were unfamiliar with the condition, known as alpha-gal syndrome, the agency found."

"As many as 450,000 Americans may be living with alpha-gal syndrome, a meat allergy that has been linked to tick bites, with many of those people going undiagnosed, according to two new studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In one of the new studies, both of which were published on Thursday, scientists reviewed the laboratory results of people who had been tested for the telltale antibodies, identifying 110,000 suspected cases since 2010.

But that figure is probably a significant underestimate. In the second study, researchers found that 78 percent of health care providers who were surveyed had little or no knowledge of the condition, and many clinicians who had heard of the syndrome were not sure how to diagnose it."

Emily Anthes reports for the New York Times July 27, 2023.

SEE ALSO:

"Mosquitos Are Moving to Higher Elevations—and So Is Malaria" (Earther)

"Cases Of Tick-Borne Illnesses Are On The Rise. Some Experts Believe Climate Change Is The Cause" (AP)

"Climate Connections: A Warming Planet, Pathogens, and Diseases" (Grist/AP)