Just wanted to put this out there to help make people aware.

Before last week I had never heard of it. Be aware when you are out and about in the woods of the tics that are on you. From what I understand the Lone Star Tic is not real common in Minnesota and even less common in NW Minnesota. I apparently was bitten by one and was luck enough to get Alpha-Gal Syndrome. I luckily went to an Allergy Dr. that was very aware of this and had me tested for it. Which I tested positive for it. I have had 4 allergic reactions so far and each one has gotten worse. The last one landed me in the ER for a few hours. Before I new about it I was eating red meat like normal, many times a week with no issues. In my case it seems to be related to getting bitten by another tic and it does not have to be a lone star tic. I had two tics on me on Saturday and Tuesday morning I had a reaction after having milk on my cereal.

Below is from google with info on Alpha-Gal.
Key Aspects of Alpha-gal Syndrome What Causes It: Alpha-gal is found in most mammals (e.g., cows, pigs, lamb, deer) and in the saliva of the Lone Star tick. When a tick bites, it can cause the human immune system to produce allergy-related antibodies to the sugar.
Symptoms: Reactions are highly variable and include itchy rashes, swelling of the lips and throat, severe digestive distress, and even anaphylaxis. Because the allergy involves digesting the sugar, these symptoms often do not manifest until 2 to 6 hours after eating. How It Is Diagnosed: Diagnosis typically involves a physical exam and a specific blood test to measure immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies directed against alpha-gal.



Please be aware and maybe a lot of you are. Take care.