Experts warn about the rapid spread of lone star ticks across the US, cautioning that these blood-feeding insects, known for causing a meat allergy, could soon infest the entire eastern half of the country and impact millions. The allergy, called alpha-gal syndrome, can lead to anaphylaxis — a severe, life-threatening reaction — after eating red meat.
The spread of lone star ticks, which have traditionally been found in the southeastern US, is mainly due to the human-caused climate crisis and rising temperatures. These ticks have moved north into New York and Maine and are also expanding westward. This aggressive species is notable for its ability to trigger alpha-gal syndrome, a condition that has increased dramatically from just dozens of cases in 2009 to an estimated 450,000 today.
Brandon Hollingsworth, a researcher at the University of South Carolina, commented on the rapid proliferation, stating:
We thought this thing was relatively rare 10 years ago but it’s become more and more common and it’s something I expect to continue to grow very rapidly.
We’ve seen an explosive increase in these ticks, which is a concern. I imagine alpha-gal will soon include the entire range of the tick, which could become the entire eastern half of the US as there’s not much to stop them. It seems like an oddity now but we could end up with millions of people with an allergy to meat.
The true scope of alpha-gal cases remains uncertain due to inconsistent data collection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have documented around 110,000 cases since 2010 but acknowledge a potential high of 450,000. Laura Harrington, an entomologist at Cornell University, believes cases will continue to rise given the ticks’ adaptability and increasing temperatures, stating, “With their adaptive nature and increasing temperatures, I don’t see many limits to these ticks over time.”
Alpha-gal syndrome is especially confusing because its symptoms, unlike other allergies, can appear several hours after eating meat. The condition isn’t caused by a pathogen but rather by an allergy to a sugar molecule found in mammals, which can also be present in various products from toothpaste to medical equipment. While researchers suggest the allergy might decrease over time, subsequent tick bites can make it worse.
The growing number of Americans with alpha-gal face a challenging and often frightening experience. Heather O’Bryan, a horticulturist in Virginia who has alpha-gal, described the situation: “The ticks are rampant this year, I’ve pulled 10 ticks off me this season alone, it feels like they are uncontrollable at the moment. They are so disgusting. I’m not afraid of a lot, but I’m afraid of ticks.” After a terrifying allergic reaction in 2019, she now meticulously avoids mammal-derived products, even lamenting, “I was so sad when I realized I couldn’t have pizza again, I remember crying in front of a frozen pizza in the supermarket aisle.”
The aggressive nature of lone star ticks is a significant concern. Sharon Pitcairn Forsyth, a conservationist in the Washington D.C. area, vividly described them:
“They will hunt you, they are like a cross between a lentil and a velociraptor.” A particularly terrifying scenario is encountering a “tick bomb” – a mass of juvenile ticks – which can result in thousands of bites. Forsyth, who now carries a lint roller for such encounters, highlights the need for awareness, as she often receives calls from doctors seeking information because “they just don’t know about it.”
While the exact reason for lone star ticks suddenly causing allergic reactions is still unknown, the overall spread of tick-borne illnesses is alarming. Beyond alpha-gal, other serious threats like Powassan virus, Babesia, and Lyme disease are also burgeoning. Harrington concluded with a stark warning about the broader implications:
There’s a tremendous urgency to confront this with new therapies but the problem is we are going backwards in terms of funding and support in the US. There have been cuts to the CDC and NIH (National Institutes of Health) which means there is decreasing support. It’s a major concern.
