When a 56-year-old farm worker from just outside Kansas City in Missouri noticed a rash on his waist and arms after eating a hamburger seven years ago, he wasn't sure what to think.
The path from tick bite to meat allergy wasn't a clear-cut one.
After a meal containing meat, the rashes and hives didn't always show up. They could pop up in a week. There were times when there was a short breath, but it was not a reason to go to the doctor.
The patient's history was complicated by seasonal allergies and treatment for the HIV he contracted at 21.
He'd report his symptoms to the doctors, but they wouldn't give him a concrete diagnosis. Changing detergents didn't help. They did not wear new clothes. Food allergies were initially ruled out, as symptoms usually occur within minutes of the consumption of the food you're allergic to, not hours.
His story is not uncommon. We don't know much about the prevalence of AGS, but we do know that a small percentage of the population in some areas of the US have it.
For a disease that has been around for a long time, it seems crazy that researchers have only been studying it for 20 years.
In 2002, Thomas Platts-Mills was interested in the reactions of cancer patients to the cancer drug cetuximab.
He came across people who claimed to have an allergic reaction to certain meats and meat products, but he didn't think of a link between the two.
There were severe cases of cetuximab reactions recorded in the US.
The root cause of the problem was identified in 2008. For short.
Alpha-Gal is a sugar found in a wide variety of animals, but we are an exception. The sugar was being transferred from mice that were used to make the treatment.
Allergies are usually caused by the body's response to a missing piece of a puzzle. It was very unusual to find a carbohydrate that can cause an allergic reaction.
There was still a question of how patients developed the sensitivity after that mystery was solved.
There were some clues. The pattern of cases was similar to those of the disease, which is caused by the lone star tick.
There is a lone star tick. Joesboy is pictured.
A chance meeting with a hunter who presented with severe allergic reactions after eating beef. The man was asked about tick bites. He'd had more than he deserved.
The researcher's personal experience with the disease convinced him. To test his suspicions, Platts-Mills went on a hike in the mountains near his home to see if he could pick up a few ticks. A meal of lamb chops caused an allergic reaction.
Scientists believe that the alpha-Gal stuck on the tick saliva is what makes people like meat. Our bodies overreact to cooking since it doesn't break it apart.
The farmer who was described recently was able to find doctors who recognized his condition. A friend told him about AGS seven years after the first symptoms appeared. The patient made the connection quickly with ticks being a common hazard of his job.
The patient has been reaction-free for eight years since he had an EpiPen in his pocket.
We can all learn from this happy ending. AGS is a relatively novel disease, meaning we have a lot to learn about its prevalence and interactions with other illnesses and treatments.
Bring it up with your doctor if you have an inkling that something isn't quite right after a burger. It's not worth eight years sweating it out.
The case description was published.
