Food Allergens: Alpha-Gal
FCS3-646
Food Allergens: Alpha-Gal
Food Allergens: Alpha-Gal
Authored by: Heather Norman-Burgdolf Anna Cason
Abstract
Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), also known as red meat allergy, is a condition that results in an allergic reaction to some animal products after a tick bite. Lone star ticks are the species most associated with AGS in the United States. A bite from one of these ticks may cause a person to develop an allergic reaction to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, a sugar molecule found in the meat of some mammals. Those mammals include cows, pigs, and lambs, or what we commonly think of as red meat. The name alpha-gal comes from the name of the sugar that causes the allergic reaction. Alpha-gal syndrome is becoming increasingly more common. As it does, we continue to see that it causes different symptoms and severities in people.
Core Details
Categorical Details
Language
English
Peer Reviewed?
Yes
Keywords
Alpha-Gal, Allergens, Ticks, Meat