Until recently, scientists thought a rare and potentially deadly meat allergy was transmitted by just one species of tick found in the U.S. — the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum). However, new reports of the allergy, called alpha-gal syndrome, show that the much more widespread black-legged ticks (Ixodes) can also transmit the disease.
Whereas lone star ticks are found mainly in the southern and eastern U.S., black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis), also called deer ticks, are present in the eastern half of the U.S. and the Midwest and the western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus) inhabits the West Coast, according to Mayo Clinic.
