Meat Allergy Caused By Tick Bites Becoming More Common In US, Experts Say

Key Takeaways

A meat allergy caused by tick bites is becoming more commonPeople testing positive for alpha-gal syndrome rose dramatically over the past decadeTick bites may cause people to develop an allergic reaction to a sugar molecule found in meat

TUESDAY, Nov. 4, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A once-rare meat allergy caused by tick bites is dramatically increasing across the United States, researchers said.

There’s been a 100-fold increase in positive test results for the allergy, called alpha-gal syndrome, between 2013 and 2024, researchers reported last week at the American College of Gastroenterology’s annual meeting in Phoenix.

“Alpha-gal syndrome is unlike any other food allergy we treat,” researcher Dr. Vinay Jahagirdar , a fellow with the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)