DANVILLE, Ky. — When a friend approached Brent Williams four years ago with a business proposition to start an ostrich farm, he was more than intrigued — he had a personal motivation as someone who developed a life-threatening allergy to red meat, triggered by tick bites. The problem, known as alpha-gal syndrome, was first linked
People with food allergies are advised to avoid the allergen because treatments are limited.Credit: BSIP/UIG Via Getty Six people who were highly allergic to peanuts can tolerate the nut after receiving a faecal transplant, reports a study published on 5 August in Science Translational Medicine. The small trial1 of 15 people is the first evidence
Bites from a lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), which live on white-tailed deer, are the main cause of α-gal allergy in the United States.Credit: BackyardProduction/Getty Thomas Platts-Mills develops a rash if he eats red meat. The immunologist is one of thousands of people who are diagnosed each year with tick-induced α-gal allergy — a life-threatening
Despite growing awareness, diagnosing a meat allergy can be difficult. Symptoms often develop at night, hours after eating dinner, and for asthma sufferers, the two can often be confused. Van Nunen describes it as “an allergy at any time, but not always.” Sometimes symptoms may not appear at all, while at other times they may