New Tick Virus

[Bigbendgyrene]

As a follow-up note to my first reply in this thread that I feared Alpha Gal much more than the heartland virus... didn't take long for my concern to prove valid.

This past weekend my wife said she was in the mood for steak and that she had picked 2 up from a local store. Cooked them up that evening and we greatly enjoyed them.

Around midnight she wakes me up to share that she believes she's having an alpha gal reaction. Her hands and feet were extremely red with visible small welts and she said they were itching far beyond any itch she'd ever experienced before.

Two blessings in the story... 1) she rarely eats meat and prefers salmon to anything else, so for her giving up mammalian meat isn't nearly the curse it would be for many, 2) she's a SUPER smart dermatologist so she was ahead of the curve on knowing what was going on and quickly took two different OTC antihistamines and had an epi-pen out at the ready for use if needed. Best guess is it took about an hour for her symptoms to calm down enough we felt comfortable she wasn't going to have to use the epi-pen or make a trip to the ER.

Can't help but wonder if my time is coming. I care for a hundred acres pretty much alone and bet I pull at least a dozen off me each year, regardless of lengths I go to keep them off of me.

 

[Bigbendgyrene]

Versus sharing in the story above, wanted to make this quick share separately to emphasize that Alpha Gal is somewhat unusual as food allergies go in being delayed by hours. Most food allergies hit very quickly.

Due to the typical 2 to 8 hour delay, it often hits between midnight and 3am after folks have enjoyed a fatty steak for dinner (the Alpha Gal carbohydrate is most concentrated in fat).

Gastrointestinal and severe itching are two of the most common initial symptoms. Depending on severity of the reaction then it can progress to breathing/airway issues.

So anyone reading this wakes up in the middle of the night with severe stomach and itching issues on the heels of having eaten a red-meat meal, quickly be thinking about Alpha Gal.

 

[crackerdave]

I don't think there's anything 100% effective for keeping ticks off,if you spend much time outdoors.

Deer are all around where I live,and they are ate up with ticks that fall off in my yard. I get 'em on me every time I mow.

 

[crackerdave]

Versus sharing in the story above, wanted to make this quick share separately to emphasize that Alpha Gal is somewhat unusual as food allergies go in being delayed by hours. Most food allergies hit very quickly.

Due to the typical 2 to 8 hour delay, it often hits between midnight and 3am after folks have enjoyed a fatty steak for dinner (the Alpha Gal carbohydrate is most concentrated in fat).

Gastrointestinal and severe itching are two of the most common initial symptoms. Depending on severity of the reaction then it can progress to breathing/airway issues.

So anyone reading this wakes up in the middle of the night with severe stomach and itching issues on the heels of having eaten a red-meat meal, quickly be thinking about Alpha Gal.

Is there any first aid for it?

 

[bullgator]

So I read this thread earlier today just out of curiosity. I just stepped out of the shower and found this guy dug into my left hip. Exactly what is this one?…..plain older tick?

 

[ryork]

I’ve had AGS since early May from a lone star tick bite in late April. Like others have already said, this is no fun and no joke. Not a lot of knowledge about it out there in the medical world either. My second episode sent me into full anaphylactic shock, scary stuff. There seems to be more to it than just the reactions to food one has consumed. I’ve had all sorts of crazy symptoms and unexplainable issues over the past two months regardless of what I have to eat. I’ve managed OK eating at home, restaurants and traveling are a different ball game entirely. Truly life altering.

 

[SinclairDAWG71]

So I read this thread earlier today just out of curiosity. I just stepped out of the shower and found this guy dug into my left hip. Exactly what is this one?…..plain older tick?View attachment 1160461

looks like the bad one.

 

[1eyefishing]

White dot=Lone star.

From my understanding, with the exception of this new virus that I don't know about, it takes about 24 hours of being attached to the host before these bad viruses are transferred.
But this does not stop me from searching myself with a hand mirror Immediately after every exposure and again the next day. And I have found several the next day even after the initial search the day before...

 

[bullgator]

View attachment 1160601looks like the bad one.

Been a pleasure knowing y’all!

 

[ryork]

Alpha gal is not a virus, it’s a carbohydrate carried by all mammals except primates.

 

[dwhee87]

Some people are afraid of snakes. Some people are afraid of bears. Alpha gal virus is the only thing in the outdoor world that truly terrifies me.

Same here.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Alpha gal is not a virus, it’s a carbohydrate carried by all mammals except primates.

I stand corrected. Looks like it's basically a sugar molecule.

 

[ryork]

I stand corrected. Looks like it's basically a sugar molecule.

Yes, I believe it was only “identified by science” I. 2009, the molecule not the syndrome

 

[Mexican Squealer]

Trust me...you don’t want AG. I’ve come what I imagine was close to death twice in the last two months..and haven’t intentionally eatin red meat in a year and a half. Red meat is the easy thing to avoid....

 

[Bigbendgyrene]

Yes, I believe it was only “identified by science” I. 2009, the molecule not the syndrome

Really an interesting story on how the discovery / identification took place.

A rash (pardon the pun) of meat allergies in the southeast was identified back in 1989, with the CDC missing the boat on following up on potential causes.

Fast forward to the early 2000s and it was a trial colon cancer drug triggering an unusual number of severe reactions that really got the ball rolling on identifying Alpha Gal as the cause.

The time Martha Stewart spent in the slammer was almost certainly due to Alpha Gal, though she didn't known that exact detail at the time. Her daughter was dating the CEO of the drug company working on the cancer drug and when the high number of allergic reactions happened the CEO sold lots of shares in his own company as did Martha very shortly thereafter.

Learned much of the history in this video starting at the 3 minute mark. Pretty comprehensive discussion of Alpha Gal for those interested.