Now, tick bites cause a deadly meat allergy, and even the SMELL of sizzling bacon can trigger a reaction that includes itching and shortness of breath.
- The strange allergy is quite rare, but anecdotal reports suggest that it may be on the rise.
- NHS Highland wants to get a better idea of how people are affected by this
Hikers and property workers have been warned that tick bites could trigger a life-threatening meat allergy.
Eating a steak, hamburger, or even certain sweets could cause life-threatening anaphylactic shock.
Just walking past a butcher shop, or the aroma of sizzling bacon, can trigger excruciating itching and shortness of breath.
Foreign allergy cases are relatively rare, but anecdotal reports suggest the numbers could be rising. Now a Scottish NHS board is set to carry out an allergy inquiry.
NHS Highland wants to get a better idea of the number of people who develop it and how they are affected. Ticks are also responsible for transmitting Lyme disease, which can cause debilitating neurological symptoms.
Hikers and property workers have been warned that tick bites could trigger a life-threatening meat allergy
LAMB ALMOST KILLED ME
Patrick Sinclair was bitten in 2016 and developed symptoms after eating lamb
Retired deer stalker Patrick Sinclair nearly died after developing a rare allergy.
Sinclair, the brother of Liberal Democrat Lord Thurso, was bitten in 2016 and developed symptoms after eating lamb.
He said: ‘I was very itchy and I took antihistamines. The next morning I had another bite of lamb and that really turned me on. I was having trouble breathing.
Paramedics treated Sinclair, 68, but he ended up in hospital weeks later after eating hare and venison.
A specialist told Sinclair to stop eating meat for three years. However, three months ago he had another reaction and he attributes it to a new tick bite.
Mr Sinclair, who lives near Loch More, Caithness, now has a life-saving EpiPen nearby.
He said: ‘After a while without being bitten, my body stops being so sensitive. But the little nymphal ticks get me, often in my own garden.
Frances Hines, NHS Highland’s manager of research, development and innovation, said: “We are aware that it is likely to be problematic for Scotland, specifically Highland, because of our high level of ticks.” It has to do in part with climate change: the warmer the climate becomes, the more likely it is to support the incidence of ticks.
‘We don’t have a tick season in Highland anymore, they’re all year round. Tick populations around the world are increasing and moving.’
The meat allergy, Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS), is triggered by a specific sugar found in meats such as venison, veal, rabbit, lamb, pork, and bacon.
The tick bite transfers the sugar molecule into the body which, in some people, triggers an immune reaction. Sick people should also be careful with dairy products and those that contain gelatin, such as some sweets and medicines.
The syndrome was first reported by researchers in the US state of Virginia in 2009. The severity varies from person to person.
Ms Hines, whose partner has the condition, said: “It’s a very unpleasant disease and it’s very much up to the individual to deal with it.”
‘If you get AGS, it can stack up over time. It can be very difficult to handle.
It has now drawn up plans for the UK’s first inquiry into the disease.
The numbers affected are hard to estimate, but of the 55 people in Ms Hines’ apartment, two had family members with allergies.
She added: “That’s a small sample, but even if it’s one person in 100 or 500, it’s still a pretty big number.”
