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Tick-borne red meat allergy (α-gal syndrome)

Author/s: 
Jeimy, Samira, Zhu, Rongbo

Tick-borne red meat allergy occurs from sensitization to a carbohydrate, galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-gal)

The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) is commonly found in the southern United States, but its prevalence in Canada is increasing.1 The tick’s saliva contains a high level of α-gal, a carbohydrate antigen also present in nonprimate mammalian cell membranes.2 Skin and bloodstream exposure to this antigen through a tick bite leads to sensitization to the carbohydrate and, subsequently, to red meat allergy.

Keywords 
tick-borne illness Allergic reactions red meat allery

Diagnosis of Lyme Disease

Author/s: 
Pitrak, D, Nguyen, C. T., Cifu, A. S.

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the US, occurring predominantly in the Northeast, the upper Midwest, and Northern California, with increasing incidence and geographic range.1 Lyme disease can cause a skin lesion at the site of the initial tick bite as well as disseminated disease, including neuropathy, meningitis, acute myocarditis/pericarditis (often with associated conduction abnormalities), and arthritis. Accurate diagnosis is the first step in the optimal management of Lyme disease.

Keywords 
Lyme disease diagnosis US tick-borne illness
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