Transmitted via ticks: the alpha-gal syndrome
Since 2010, more than 100,000 cases of AGS have been reported in the US. This unusual allergy sometimes causes severe symptoms that appear within a few hours of eating meat. It is triggered by a tick bite. But how can a tick bite lead to such a severe meat allergy? And does this phenomenon, which is mainly known in North America, also occur in Germany and other parts of the world?
What causes the alpha-gal syndrome?
While most allergens are specific proteins, the allergic reaction seen in AGS is directed against the sugar molecule galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, abbreviated: alpha-gal. The body will have formed specific immunoglobulins (sIgE) against alpha-gal after previous contact. The sensitization of the immune system to the sugar causes an allergic reaction upon renewed contact…
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