Around 3% of Americans – or around 10 million people – suffer from AGS, which causes a person to develop an allergy to red meat
The condition often arises as a result of a tick bite, and expert explains that since the tick saliva resembles red meat cells, the immune system attacks it
Many people who have the condition are unaware, as they may not realize the symptoms they are feeling are a result of the meat itself
It could take 12 hours for symptoms of the allergy to appear in a person, making it hard for them to connect the food to the symptoms
Up to ten million Americans may be suffering from an allergy to red meat triggered by tick bites, estimates suggest — but many cases go undiagnosed because it can take up to 12 hours for symptoms to develop.
Alpha-gal Syndrome is normally sparked by bites from the lone star tick — identified by the white spot on its back — which lives in wooded areas across the eastern United States. But bites from other ticks may also cause it.
Dr Jonathan Oliver, a public health expert at the University of Minnesota, told DailyMail.com that the bug’s saliva contains molecules that appear to be similar to those from red meat. It means that when the immune system attacks the saliva, it also develops cells that target molecules from red meat — triggering the allergy.
Most tick bites do not lead to the condition, Oliver said, but he warned that getting bitten more often raises the risk of developing the condition.