This Tick Bite Can Cause Alpha-Gal Syndrome—Making You Allergic to Meat

The lone star tick causes Alpha-gal syndrome, which is also known as red-meat allergy. (Credit: Photo: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC's Official Website)

A single tick bite can reprogram the immune system and trigger an allergy to red meat, scientifically known as alpha-gal syndrome. While still relatively new to the UK, the condition has been studied and documented in the US and Australia.

Tick bites are widely known to cause Lyme disease, but they can also cause a rare allergy called Alpha-gal Syndrome.