ALPHA-GAL INFORMATION
A project of the Alpha-gal Syndrome Awareness Campaign
Alpha-gal Syndrome
The Epidemic You Never Heard of
Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), or mammalian meat allergy, is a tick-induced allergy to galactose-α-1,3-galactose (1). This sugar, commonly known as alpha-gal, is found in all mammals except for humans and some primates (2).
Products made from mammals can also contain alpha-gal. These include mammalian meat (like beef, pork, and lamb), milk and dairy products, gelatin, medications, medical products (like heparin and vaccines), personal care products (like lotion and make-up), and many other items. (3)
Reactions, which can be life-threatening, may be immediate, as in the case of injected drugs, or delayed from 2 to 10 hours, as is typical after the consumption of mammalian meat (1).
While it is a growing epidemic, there is still lack of awareness about the alpha-gal syndrome leading to delay in diagnosis and misdiagnosis. This is a great website to explore more.
See Prof Iwasaki’s alpha-gal syndrome Twitter thread here.
NEWS
Question: Do up to 10 million Americans have alpha-gal syndrome?
You may be seeing this claim in articles about alpha-gal syndrome in the popular press. It is true that many more people have alpha-gal syndrome than is commonly understood. Up to 3% of some populations in the U.S. where lone star ticks are abundant maybe be affected. However, there are many areas of the U.S. where lone star ticks do NOT occur and where alpha-gal syndrome is rare.
Answer: No, 10 million Americans do NOT have alpha-gal syndrome.
As of 2018, over 30,000 Americans were diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome. It is likely, based on preliminary data, that hundreds of thousands of other Americans have it but have not been diagnosed or have been misdiagnosed as having GI disorders, etc. But ten million? No.
Tick season is here. Protect yourself!
Avoiding tick bites
A guide for people with alpha-gal syndrome
Insect Shield
Buy permethrin treated clothing from Insect Shield or have them treat you own clothes.
Tick Encounter
Learn more from the Tick Encounter’s #BeReadyforTicks resource.
TickEase Tweezers
To remove ticks safely, you need pointy-tipped (not blunt-tipped) tweezers. TickEase is a popular brand..
Have you been bitten by a tick?
Do you get sick in the middle of the night after eating red meat?
Do you have unexplained anaphylactic reactions, hives, GI issues, or arthritis?
You may have alpha-gal syndrome.
What is Alpha-gal Syndrome?
Symptoms
Diagnosis and Testing
New: an ICD code for alpha-gal syndrome
2022 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code
Z91.014
Expert Scott Commins Explains Alpha-gal Syndrome
NEW!
Fast facts about
alpha-gal syndrome
“In this unselected cohort from central Virginia, the prevalence of a-Gal sIgE was 15.1% but self-reported mammalian meat allergy was 2.2%.“
“…in the southeastern United States, approximately 3% of the general population exhibits anaphylaxis after consumption of mammalian meat.”
“In certain geographic areas and in populations with high tick exposure, the level of sensitization can be 15-35% but this does not represent clinical AGS, which appears to occur in 1-8% of sensitized individuals.”
“In geographic areas where tick bites are common, AGS is likely under- recognized and under-diagnosed. We suggest testing for alpha-gal IgE in tick-endemic areas as part of the evaluation for cases of idiopathic anaphylaxis, recurrent urticaria and/or angioedema, as well as recurrent, episodic gastrointestinal cramping of unestablished cause.”
*most of the southeastern U.S. and other populations with high tick exposure, including areas of the Midwest and much of the eastern U.S.
15-35%
of the population in the southern U.S. and large areas of the Midwest and eastern U.S. is sensitized to alpha-gal
Over 34,000
The number of Americans diagnosed has risen from 12 in 2009 to over 34,000 in 2019. It is estimated that there may be a million or more undiagnosed cases in the U.S. alone.
3-8 hours
typical delay of reactions after exposure
Up to 60%
of cases have anaphylactic reactions
30-40%
of cases have cardiac symptoms
Up to 20%
of cases have GI symptoms alone
More than 20,000
drugs, vaccines and medical products contain mammalian byproducts
Hundreds
of mammalian byproducts with obscure names like oleic acid are added to foods without being labeled as derived from mammals
7 years
average time to diagnosis due to lack of physician awareness
Contact alphagalinformation@gmail.com with any questions. We would be happy to provide you with more information, including references.
Learn about the GI Variant of Alpha-gal Syndrome
CME Course: Alpha-Gal Allergy as a Cause of Intestinal Symptoms in a Gastroenterology Community Practice
Immunoglobulin E to alpha-gal may be an underrecognized but frequent cause of gastrointestinal tract symptoms in eastern North America in the habitat distribution of the Lone Star tick.
Isolated GI Alpha-Gal Meat Allergy: What Clinicians Need to Know
Sarah K. McGill, MD, MSc
ACOG Virtual Grand Rounds
August 19, 2021
Newly diagnosed? Start here!
What Do My Test Results Mean?
Management of Alpha-gal Syndrome
Alpha-gal Tolerance Levels
What Is Alpha-gal Found In?
Checklist for the Newly Diagnosed
Avoiding Additional Tick Bites
GET HELP
Make an Appointment with an Expert
Find a Support Group
Patient Recommended Physicians
Find Someone Local to Talk To
LEARN MORE
Where does alpha-gal syndrome occur?
Publications Database
Help Find a Cure
Sign Up for Our Mailing List to Receive Updates
- Get alpha-gal updates.
- Videos from Dr. Commins, coming soon!
- Determining Your Tolerance Level, coming soon!
- Join now to become a part of our AGS community!
References
1. Commins SP, Satinover SM, Hosen J, et al. Delayed anaphylaxis, angioedema, or urticaria after consumption of red meat in patients with IgE antibodies specific for galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009;123(2):426-433.
2. Galili U, Clark MR, Shohet SB, Buehler J, Macher BA. Evolutionary relationship between the natural anti-Gal antibody and the Gal alpha 1—-3Gal epitope in primates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987;84(5):1369-1373.
3. Commins SP. Diagnosis & management of alpha-gal syndrome: lessons from 2,500 patients. Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 2020;16(7):667-677.
4. Commins SP, James HR, Kelly LA, et al. The relevance of tick bites to the production of IgE antibodies to the mammalian oligosaccharide galactose-α-1,3-galactose. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011;127(5):1286-1293.e6.
5. van Nunen SA. Tick-induced allergies: mammalian meat allergy and tick anaphylaxis. Med J Aust. 2018;208(7):316-321.
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