Daijiworld Media Network – New Jersey

New Jersey, Nov 17: A 47-year-old man in the United States has become the first known fatality linked to alpha-gal syndrome, a severe allergic reaction to red meat triggered by a tick bite, NBC News reported. The man, who died in 2024, had a documented allergy to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal), a sugar found in mammalian meat. Hours after consuming a beef burger at a barbecue in New Jersey, he began vomiting and later suffered anaphylaxis that proved fatal.

Autopsy reports showed no signs of heart attack or other life-threatening conditions, and toxicology revealed blood ethanol of 0.049% and diphenhydramine at 440 ng/mL. The cause of death was recorded as “sudden unexplained death.” Researchers confirmed this as the first documented fatal case of AGS following mammalian meat consumption.

Dr. Thomas Platts-Mills, an allergist at the University of Virginia School of Medicine who discovered alpha-gal syndrome and diagnosed the case, noted that the tragic outcome occurred because the anaphylactic reaction was not recognised at the time. He emphasised the importance of awareness: “They didn’t think of that episode as anaphylaxis, and therefore didn’t connect it to the beef.”

Currently, there is no cure for alpha-gal syndrome, but testing is available for those who suspect they may be affected. Experts recommend that individuals with the condition strictly avoid all mammalian meat products to prevent life-threatening reactions.