Alpha-gal syndrome – a reaction to a sugar found red meat and dairy products that is caused by lone star ticks – may now be the 10th most common food allergy in the United States, according to new US CDC estimates. It is also one of the least recognized.
Ken McCullick died in an emergency room on August 12, 2021. “I got lucky and there was this young nurse … I was one of her first CPR patients, and she would not give would not give up and saved my life. “I’m grateful for that,” McCullick said, his voice choked with emotion at the memory. The 66-year-old musician from Brooksville, Florida, said his heart stopped after he got the blood thinner heparin in the hospital.
Diagnoses on the rise Researchers haven’t had a good idea how many Americans might have alpha-gal syndrome. Until 2022, one commercial lab ran most alpha-gal testing in the US: Viracor in Lenexa, Kansas. For the new study, epidemiologists at the CDC analyzed anonymous testing data from this lab for blood tests run from 2017 through 2022. Providers ordered nearly 300,000 tests for alpha-gal during this period, and 30% of them — roughly 90,000 — were positive.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Up to 450,000 in U.S. have red meat allergies due to alpha-gal syndrome spread by ticks, CDC saysThe CDC also found 'concerning' numbers of doctors don't know about alpha-gal syndrome, an allergic reaction to red meat.
Read more »
Doctors often miss symptoms of meat allergy linked to lone star ticks, CDC findsA potentially life-threatening allergy to red meat may impact almost half a million Americans, but many doctors have no idea what it is or how to treat it, according to new research.
Read more »
'The 10th Kingdom' Is Still the Best Fairy Tale ShowNo fairy tale series paid tribute to the Brothers Grimm better than this one.
Read more »
Dodgers erase 4-run deficit in 9th, beat Blue Jays in 10thJames Outman’s RBI double completes an 8-7 win as Will Smith’s aggressive base running and a defensive play at the plate prove pivotal in a dramatic comeback.
Read more »
Dodgers complete comeback against Blue Jays with walk-off in 10thJames Outman hit a double in the 10th as the Dodgers mounted a rally in the ninth to walk-off the Toronto Blue Jays 8-7 on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.
Read more »