A university professor suffered a near-fatal allergic reaction to barbacoa meat in what is believed to be one of the first cases of its kind.
Kansas State University professor Brian McCornack went into anaphylactic shock and was rushed to the emergency room hours after eating a steak cooked on an outdoor grill.
The devastating complication occurs when the body releases a flood of chemicals in response to an allergen, in this case a compound in red meat.
Blood pressure drops suddenly and the airways narrow, preventing those affected from breathing. It can kill in as little as 30 minutes.
Professor McCornack was surprised to learn that his reaction was caused by an allergy, as he had had no problems with food in the past.
Through his work as an entomologist, the study of insects, he believes he has traced his complication to a strange source: a tick.
Her unexplained allergy was the result of a disease she contracted from Lone Star ticks called alpha-gal syndrome (AGS).
Professor McCornack began experiencing digestive discomfort in August 2023, about a month before he was hospitalised, but it wasn’t until he was sitting in a lecture that he linked his new allergy to ticks he had found on himself weeks earlier.
He said Local Kansas station KSN: ‘I didn’t know what it was until I was at a seminar and started putting a lot of pieces together.
Professor Brian McCornack believes his allergic reaction was due to a new allergy he contracted from a tick bite.
Her unexplained allergy was the result of a disease she contracted from ticks called alpha-gal syndrome (AGS).
A tick’s saliva can contain a sugar molecule called a-Gal and when ticks bite, their saliva can enter the bloodstream, triggering overactivity in the immune system when someone eats red meats like beef, pork or lamb, or animal products like cheese.
It comes from the Lone Star tick, which is found primarily in the southeastern United States but is increasingly being detected in the northern, eastern and central parts of the country, according to the Mayo Clinic, as deer carry Lone Star ticks to new states.
Professor McCornack believes his case was caused by two ticks he found on his body after walking his dogs. He discovered a small, blood-filled Lone Star tick and another adult Lone Star tick.
However, he is not sure exactly when he developed AGS.
The CDC said more than 110,000 suspected cases of AGS have been identified in the U.S. between 2010 and 2022, but the number is likely higher because the condition doesn’t need to be reported to the agency and many people may have it without knowing it.
There is no cure or treatment for AGS other than avoiding red meat and other animal products.
Professor McCornack said you should avoid meats, cheeses, ice creams and even certain medications, although not all AGS patients will have a reaction to all meat or animal products.
Lone star ticks are primarily found in the southeastern U.S., but are spreading to the northern, eastern, and central parts of the country as deer carry lone star ticks to new states.
Peak activity of the Lone Star tick occurs in June and September.
He said: ‘Meat products are in everything, actually there are by-products too, cheeses, you name it… ice cream… I can’t eat it without having a severe reaction.
‘Meat products are found in pharmaceuticals. I had to work closely with a pharmacist to make sure that pharmaceuticals did not cause anaphylactic shock. If it’s genuine aspirin, they use synthetic agents; if it’s generic, they use agents of animal origin.’
The reaction comes from the sugars in the products, not the products themselves.
About two hours after eating the steak, Professor McCornack begins to suffer from hives and difficulty breathing. If he eats too much, his airways will begin to close up and he could go into shock.
The professor said: ‘There’s a two-hour delay after the meal, so you eat red meat, it breaks it down… it gets into your bloodstream and your immune system basically responds… the immune system says it’s a foreign body.’
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) said last month that multiple tick-borne illnesses have been detected in Lone Star.
The Lone Star tick is the most abundant tick in the state and is widely distributed throughout the eastern two-thirds of the state.
Experts described them as “aggressive human biters” and said tick-borne diseases “are extremely active this year.”
Lone star ticks vary in size and are usually identified by a white dot on their back.
Professor McCornack warned: “Ticks are everywhere in our environment. Being aware of them, spotting them early, checking to make sure there aren’t any ticks around is very important.”
“Everything needs to be checked. Once they’ve joined, there’s a chance.”
