(NEXSTAR) – Researchers with the University of Virginia have identified a deceased 47-year-old pilot from New Jersey as the first documented death caused by alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy acquired from the bite of a lone star tick.
The cause of the man’s death in the summer of 2024 was previously determined to be “unexplained” after an autopsy shortly after his passing, the researchers explained in an article published with The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (ACI) In Practice.
“His wife wanted to know why her husband had died, and she asked her friend, [contributing researcher] Dr. Erin McFeely, to review the autopsy report,” the article’s authors wrote in their findings. “They then contacted our group in Virginia to address the possible role of [alpha-gal syndrome] and gave permission for the Medical Examiner’s Office to send the postmortem blood to Virginia.”
Alpha-gal syndrome, which itself was originally identified by University of Virginia researchers led by article co-author Thomas Platts-Mills, M.D., is a tick-borne disease that prompts the human immune system to develop antibodies to a sugar molecule (galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose) found in mammalian meats.
Allergies caused by alpha-gal syndrome can begin hours after ingesting red meat, and include hives, swelling of the face, intense stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting or anaphylaxis, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Researchers at the University of Virginia said the New Jersey man had experienced what they believed to be a severe reaction to red meat about two weeks before he died, after he ate a steak during a family camping trip. That night, he woke up with a severe stomach ache, which was accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea. He eventually went back to sleep; he never consulted a health care professional about the incident.
Weeks later, the man ate a hamburger at a barbecue, only to experience similar symptoms that evening, the researchers wrote. During this incident, his son discovered him unconscious on the bathroom floor. The man was later pronounced dead at a hospital in New Jersey.
“The postmortem examination showed no significant abnormalities in the cardiac, respiratory, neurological, or abdominal systems, including on microscopic examination of the heart, right lung, and liver, as well as on cardiac pathology examination,” researchers said. But after the man’s wife consulted a friend and contacted the University of Virginia, analysts obtained a sample of the man’s blood for testing, which ultimately showed a “relevant” amount of alpha-gal antibodies and significantly high levels of tryptase enzymes, which are a marker of anaphylaxis.
The man’s wife also reported that her husband, earlier in the summer, had been bitten by “chiggers” on his ankles, though researchers believe what the couple believed to be chiggers were actually the larvae of lone star ticks.
This case, as well as the many cases of alpha-gal syndrome that often go undiagnosed, highlight the need for further education of the allergy in the medical community, the researchers say. Increasing deer populations — deer being hosts to lone star ticks — are also contributing to the frequency and geographical spread of alpha-gal syndrome. Earlier this year, for instance, researchers with Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) estimated a 100-fold increase in alpha-gal syndrome cases between 2013 and 2024, with major spikes between 2021 and 2024.
“Alpha-gal syndrome has gone from a medical curiosity to a major public health issue in just a decade,” said Vinay Jahagirdar, M.D., the study’s co-author, in an Oct. 30 press release from VCU Health.
There is also no cure for alpha-gal syndrome, but experts say the condition can be managed by avoiding foods that trigger allergies, avoiding further tick bites, and treatments (including antihistamines and epinephrine shots) to mitigate reactions, the Cleveland Clinic says. In time, some people may lose their sensitivity to meat, as well.
Nexstar’s Addy Bink and WRIC’s Ryan Nadeau contributed to this report.