What Kind of Tick Makes You Allergic to Beef
Reports are spreading along the East Coast about a tick that can make you allergic to some kinds of meat. That's raising concerns about the critters, but they're not new to North Carolina.
The lone star tick is one of multiple types found in the state — a common one at that — and it is capable of causing medical issues such as the allergy that's drawn attention to it.
If you do see one on your body, there are steps you should take to minimize the chances of getting sick.
Here's what to know about lone star ticks, their presence in North Carolina and what to do if you see one:
What are lone star ticks?
The lone star tick is a type of tick primarily found in the Southeast, the Mayo Clinic advises. The name comes from the white, often star-shaped mark typically found on the backs of females.
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They can spread various diseases, according to the Mayo Clinic, including ehrlichiosis, tularemia and alpha-gal syndrome, which causes a food allergy "to red meat and other products made from mammals."
"The bite transmits a sugar molecule called alpha-gal into the person's body," the Mayo Clinic says. "In some people, this triggers an immune system reaction that later produces mild to severe allergic reactions to red meat, such as beef, pork or lamb, or other mammal products."
Are lone star ticks in North Carolina?
An adult female lone star tick. Lone star ticks are widely distributed in the eastern United States but more common in the South.
Lone star ticks are "the most common tick in North Carolina," NC State entomology professor Michael Reiskind told the Charlotte Observer, and can be found "pretty much everywhere from the coast to the mountains."
"In our sampling in the Piedmont, it is often 10 times more abundant than other ticks, sometimes with thousands of larval ticks and scores of nymphal and adult ticks encountered in one area," he said.
How to spot lone star ticks
Lone star ticks "tend to find you" rather than being spotted, Reiskind said, so it's important to do self-checks of your body for ticks after being outside "especially after being in wooded areas."
You should make sure to check your hair, back, armpits and pubic area, he recommended. And doing so quickly can make a difference.
"Ticks that attach for more than a day are the ones mostly likely to transmit a pathogen, so finding them is critical to avoiding disease," Reiskind said.
What to do if you see a lone star tick
Lone star ticks "are so common" in North Carolina that reporting sightings "is probably not helpful," Reiskind said.
But there are steps to take, he added, if you see one on your body:
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Remove the tick
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Put the tick in alcohol
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Go to the doctor "and bring the tick"
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Work with your doctor to get the tick tested for "several pathogens associated with this tick, both bacterial and viral." The state Department of Health and Human Services or experts such as Reiskind, reachable by email at mhreiski@ncsu.edu, can help arrange testing.
Other ticks in NC
The lone star tick is just one "11 or so" types of ticks that are in North Carolina, according to Reiskind, but not all of them pose the same kinds of risks to humans.
"There are no 'good' ticks — but most species people never see as they prefer small mammals or even birds," Reiskind said.
It's still important to watch for all kinds of ticks, he added, because they can transmit diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease.
Wearing bug repellent and protective clothing, such as pants tucked into socks, can help you avoid all types of ticks, Reiskind said.
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Source: https://greensboro.com/news/state-and-regional/ncs-most-common-tick-can-make-you-allergic-to-red-meat-heres-what-to-know/article_beeeec26-c0c7-530e-b5e2-c7c29dba0b88.html