Lone Star Tick Bite Might Trigger Red Meat Allergy: Study
FRIDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- New research adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests certain tick bites may cause even the most seasoned of carnivores to develop an allergy to red meat.
Here's how it works in humans, experts say: The Lone Star tick, which is found largely in central and southern U.S. regions, injects spit into your body when it bites you. When this occurs, your body develops antibodies to a carbohydrate in the tick's spit that is known as alpha-gal, a carbohydrate that is also present in red meat. The person then eats meat, and an allergic reaction is triggered.
This reaction tends to occur within three to six hours after eating meat, and can range in severity from mild hives and itching to full-blown anaphylactic shock (a potentially deadly reaction).
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=164920
I'd never heard of this before, although this has apparently been known about for at least a couple years.