Tick-born illness that causes meat allergy confirmed in West Virginia

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia has confirmed its first cases of Alpha-gal Syndrome, a disease that can cause lifelong allergies to meat and meat products.

The West Virginia Department of Health announced last week that it has confirmed 14 cases of the tick-borne illness, and the Monongalia County Health Department said Wednesday

that Mon County confirmed its first-ever positive case of AGS.

The disease can cause a range of symptoms, including nausea and anaphylaxis, that are triggered by eating certain meats, including beef, pork, venison and rabbit, as well as dairy, gelatin and meat-based broths. These reactions can last for life.

AGS is spread by the lone star tick, which has been increasing in populations in West Virginia. Compared to deer ticks, which are known carriers of Lyme disease, lone star ticks are larger and have a distinct white spot on their backs.

The West Virginia Department of Health just recently started requiring health departments to report cases of AGS. According to that alert issued on Sept. 11, symptoms typically occur 2-6 hours after ingesting meat products after a person is infected.