You are enjoying a nice afternoon hike in the forest when suddenly, you feel a sudden itch on your leg. You discover a Tick neck-deep into your skin, and as a natural reaction, you remove them, giving the area where you were bitten a little scratch. Thinking nothing more of the situation, you continue on your field trip.
As the skies darken, you go home. You grill a burger to eat for dinner, take a bath, and then head to bed.
A couple of days later, you start feeling unwell – you develop a fever, rashes, chills, headache, and shortness of breath. You go to the doctor and discover that you have fallen victim to the alpha-gal syndrome.
Yes, it was because of that Tick bite, and yes, it was because of that burger.
WHAT IS ALPHA-GAL SYNDROME?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is a serious, potentially life- threatening allergy and tickborne disease.”
Alpha-gal is a carbohydrate molecule found in almost all mammals but not in humans. It becomes present in the saliva of some Ticks after they have fed on the blood of mammals.
Certain Ticks, particularly the Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum), can transmit the alpha-gal molecule to humans, especially as they are known to be aggressive human biters. The CDC says, “When a [T]ick bites, it can transfer alpha-gal from [their] saliva into a person’s blood.
The body’s natural defenses, or immune system, can identify alpha-gal as a threat and trigger an allergic reaction.”
One sure-fire way to trigger an allergic reaction after such a bite is by eating animals with high amounts of alpha-gal, such as Cows, Pigs, and Lambs.
WHERE DO LONE STAR TICKS LIVE?
The Lone Star Tick can be found in the Northeast, South, and Midwest United States.
Although the majority of their bites are documented in the United States, reports have also confirmed the presence of Ticks responsible for alpha-gal syndrome in Europe, Australia, and Asia.
CAN CATS AND DOGS HAVE AGS?
Cats and Dogs are safe from alpha-gal syndrome. However, according to PetMD.com, bites from the Lone Star Tick can cause other equally serious diseases in animal companions, such as tularemia, ehrlichiosis, and rickettsial infection.
WHAT DOES THE TICK LOOK LIKE?
Adult female Lone Star Ticks have a brown body with a single white dot on their back. Adult males, on the other hand, have spots of white around the outer edges of their body.
NATURE’S REVENGE?
As the human population grows, so does the need for food – often, it’s animal-based food. However, animal-based food is associated with significant problems.
Numerous studies suggest that animal agriculture contributes to environmental damage. Efforts being made by the government and environmental organizations may not be sufficient to mitigate the negative impact on climate change unless the mainstream majority also participates.
There are hypotheses about how nature can fight back if it’s under attack. We are made aware of our abuse of the environment in the form of floods, droughts, typhoons, fires, and diseases. Could it be that alpha-gal syndrome is one of the ways that nature takes its revenge when animal agriculture damages the environment?
Too many symptoms have emerged due to environmental neglect. It calls for a rethink of humankind’s relationship with nature and animals to avoid the worst of climate change and other zoonotic diseases, including COVID-19, avian flu, and swine flu.
FORCED AWAKE
So, you head home from the doctor’s office, antihistamine in hand, still reeling from the news that your favorite foods are now off-limits. But looking at the bigger picture, what truly matters is that you are safe.
Fast forward to a year later and your plate is now a vibrant variety of food you never would have tried before: crisp vegetables, juicy fruits, earthy mushrooms, silky tofu, hearty grains and legumes, and of course, plant-based burgers that taste just as good, if not better, as before.
After all the research you’ve done, you realize that it is not all that unfortunate what happened to you. You even care more now because you’re made aware of certain things: climate change, animal exploitation, diseases.
What once felt like a loss now feels like a gift. And all it took was a lone – pun intended – Tick.
