<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"  Here&amp;#039;s another nasty side effect of a tick bite (as if Lyme disease weren&amp;#039;t enough to worry about). Recently, red meat allergies are skyrocketing around the country, thanks to the bite of a small bug known as the Lone Star tick.  As Time reports, this particular tick&amp;#039;s presence has been spreading nationwide in the past few years, all the way from the Southwest up to the East Coast, bringing an upswing of red meat intolerance with it. So just how does a small insect cause an inability to enjoy that burger you&amp;#039;re craving?  Apparently, both Lone Stars and red meat have a sugar known as alpha-gal. While alpha-gal is easily tolerated when humans ingest in via the mouth to the stomach, the body produces antibodies for it when delivered via tick bite. In other words, if this little sucker decides to make you his lunch, your body will then turn that alpha-gal sugar present in red meat into the enemy, possibly sending your body into anaphylactic shock up to eight hours after you try to indulge in that filet mignon.  Thankfully, antihistamines or, in rare cases, shots of epinephrine, have proved successful in managing these reactions, but it certainly does pose a threat. If you suspect a Lone Star tick may have bitten you, look into getting tested for the alpha-gal antibodies, and if necessary, talk to your doctor about carrying an EpiPen with you, just in case. Find more great food content on Delish:   Search for the perfect recipe from our homepage Find out the latest food news Get a recipe book to save your favorite dishes Sign up for our free newsletters Check us out on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter   RELATED: Don&amp;#039;t Sweat It: Cold Noodle Salads for Hot Summer Days Green Smoothies That Will Fool the Whole Family 9 Gorgeous Grilled Desserts "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.delish.com/food/news/a41311/lone-star-tick-bite-causes-red-meat-allergies/>