Severe Tick-Borne Meat, Dairy Allergy Disease On Rise Across MA: What You Need To Know

The tick-borne illness that causes those infected to become severely allergic to meat and dairy products is emerging as an increasing concern in Massachusetts.

Dr. Catherine Brown of the Department of Public Health told CBS Boston that Alpha-gal syndrome, which is carried most commonly by the Lone Star tick, is becoming more frequent in New England as ticks move farther north due to climate change.

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The tick population has exploded on parts of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket in recent years, with Brown saying the population is "starting to make inroads into the rest of the state as well."

The tick's saliva causes the allergy that then makes people sick when they try to ingest red meat and dairy products. Brown said more than 500 positive tests for the disease were reported on Martha's Vineyard in 2024.

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The Centers for Disease Control said nearly a half-million people are affected by the condition nationwide — with symptoms that can vary in severity with each exposure to meat or dairy.

According to the CDC, unlike typical food allergies, symptoms are often delayed by two hours or more after exposure and can arise suddenly following years of safe meat consumption.

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The CDC said symptoms include the acute onset of any one or more of the following allergic and/or gastrointestinal symptoms that occur 2–10 hours after ingestion of pork, beef, lamb, any other mammalian meat, or any mammalian-derived product (e.g. gelatin), or within two hours after intramuscular, intravenous, or subcutaneous administration of alpha-gal containing vaccination or medication:

• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Heartburn/indigestion
• Hives
• Itching
• Anaphylaxis as diagnosed by a provider
• Swelling of one or more of the following: lips, tongue, throat, face, eyelids, or other associated structures
• Shortness of breath
• Cough
• Wheezing
• Acute episode of hypotension