INDIANAPOLIS — A tick bite has made one Hoosier allergic to red meat.
Bloomington resident Matt Mckinney never had any issues enjoying his favorite burgers or steaks.
In 2018, Matt was bitten by a tick while outside.
Things were normal for a while but in 2021, Matt felt off after eating a steak.
“I broke out in hives, like 12 hours after I'd eaten it,” Mckinney explained.
Matt was bitten by a Lone Star tick that carries a strain that causes Alpha-Gal Syndrome.
“Basically, there's a syndrome in which there's a delayed onset allergic reaction,” explained IU Health Allergist Dr. Craig Sewell.“ (The reaction occurs) three to six hours after ingestion of a mammalian meat, such as like beef, pork, lamb or one of its derivatives.”
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The condition is usually seen in the southeastern United States but has moved to the Midwest during warmer winters.
“I’ve seen a few extra cases of it,” Sewell said. “Largely, it's seen down in southern Indiana, but it seems to be kind of moving its way up yearly.”
The syndrome has forced Matt to make changes to his lifestyle.
“We eat a lot more chicken and salmon, which I guess is a little bit healthier,” Mckinney shared.
Changes aside, Mckinney feels as though his situation could be much worse.
“There's a lot of things that people have that are a lot more serious than this,” he said.
“It could be life threatening or life changing. I mean, mine's been a slight lifestyle change.”
