US EditionFirst US Death from Tick-Bite Meat Allergy Documented
A New Jersey pilot died from a severe allergic reaction to red meat linked to Lone Star tick bites; CDC estimates up to 450,000 Americans have alpha-gal syndrome.
- In September 2024, researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine reported that a 47-year-old New Jersey man died after falling ill four hours following a hamburger at a barbecue, marking the first known U.S. death from tick-bite meat allergy.
- Mechanistically, when ticks feed on mammals they transfer alpha-gal, a sugar in mammal blood that can trigger delayed red-meat allergy, most cases linked to the lone star tick, researchers say.
- Medical evidence tied to the case includes blood testing showing alpha-gal antibodies linked to fatal anaphylaxis, the autopsy ruled sudden and unexplained, and the man's son found him unconscious surrounded by vomit.
- Researchers say this case highlights a mounting threat as lone star ticks and white-tailed deer migrate; the CDC reported more than 110,000 suspected cases, with 42% of health care providers unaware and no vaccine available.
- Experts note that exercise and alcohol increase allergy absorption, and Thangamani advised that `We can't reduce the tick exposure, but if we can remove the tick as soon as we come from an outdoor activity, we essentially eliminate a lot of issues that arise after a tick bite.
242 Articles
242 Articles
After a Mysterious Death, a Family’s Quest for Answers Leads to a Tick
The 47-year-old JetBlue pilot went to a barbecue, where he ate a hamburger, at roughly 3 p.m. He returned to his suburban New Jersey home and mowed the lawn for an hour. By 7:20, he was in the bathroom, vomiting. By 7:37, he was unconscious. Soon, his son was trying to resuscitate him. The pilot, Brian Waitzel, was declared dead later that night. The conclusion of an autopsy: “Sudden unexplained death.” Now, more than a year after Mr. Waitzel di…
A 47-year-old American became the first recorded victim to succumb to a tick-borne allergy to meat.
New Jersey Man Dies From A Meat Allergy Caused By Tick Bite
The first known fatality from a red meat allergy intolerance spread by ticks has been recorded.The otherwise healthy 47-year-old New Jersey man died abruptly after consuming beef at a restaurant in the summer of 2024. He had been camping with his family two weeks prior, per UVA Health. The man’s son found him unconscious on the floor of a bathroom surrounded by vomit, and the man was declared dead at a hospital. The autopsy declared it was a “su…
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