Alpha-Gal Syndrome & Lone Star Ticks

Tick Talk: What Central VA Residents Need to Know About Alpha-Gal Syndrome

When you think of tick-borne illness, Lyme disease is probably the first thing that comes to mind. And you definitely don’t want to get that—it’s a serious illness. But in Central Virginia, there’s another condition that has been getting more attention lately. One that can change the way you eat for the rest of your life.

Alpha-gal syndrome is a tick-triggered allergy to red meat. You can get it from Lone Star ticks, and Virginia is one of the places where both the tick and the condition are most prevalent.

How Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS) Works

When you’re bitten by a Lone Star tick, its saliva introduces a sugar molecule into your bloodstream. That sugar molecule is called alpha-gal, and your immune system correctly recognizes it as foreign and builds antibodies against it. But ticks aren’t the only way to encounter alpha-gal. It’s also found in red meat, including beef, pork, lamb, and venison.

That means the next time you eat red meat, you’ll get a very unwelcome surprise. The antibodies will trigger an allergic reaction. And unlike your typical food allergies, these are delayed by three to six hours after eating. That delay makes it tougher to connect the dots. People often have multiple reactions before figuring out what’s causing them.

Symptoms range from hives to swelling to gastrointestinal distress. In severe cases, anaphylaxis is possible. Worse still, reactions can worsen with subsequent tick bites. One bite can start the process and additional bites can make it worse.

Lone Star ticks are abundant across Central Virginia. They're aggressive feeders, unlike deer ticks, which tend to wait in vegetation. These ticks actively move toward hosts. They’re found often in wooded areas, tall grass, and along the edges of maintained yards. If you spend time outdoors in Central VA, you're in their territory.

Virginia is a particularly hard-hit state when it comes to AGS. Of all the states, it has some of the most reported cases. And AGS isn’t exactly rare, either. Up to half a million Americans may have it (as of 2023), which makes it the 10th most common food allergy in the US.

There's No Cure, Only Prevention

Once you get alpha-gal syndrome, you will likely have it for life. There’s no treatment or cure that can reverse it. Your best option, if you fall ill with it, is to avoid red meat, and in some cases, dairy products and certain medications derived from animal sources.

The only real defense is to reduce your tick exposure. One of the best ways you can do that is by investing in tick control on your property, taking precautions when outdoors, and regularly checking for ticks after spending time in tick habitats.

Worried About Ticks in Central VA?

The 6 C's of tick control are a good place to start when it comes to tick control in Central VA. But if you’re serious about keeping ticks off your property, professional barrier treatment from Mosquito Squad of Central VA can help even more.

Barrier treatment reduces tick populations in the areas of your yard where they're most concentrated. Then treatments are reapplied every 21 days during the tick season, which, for Lone Star ticks in Central VA, stretches from early spring well into fall.

Heard about alpha-gal syndrome and worried about tick bites in Central VA? Call Mosquito Squad of Central VA at (804) 409-2710 or contact us online for a free quote.