NJ Man Dies From Alpha-Gal Syndrome Caused by Tick

Have you ever read a headline and immediately thought that it was something out of a sci-fi movie?

That's kind of how I felt when I saw on the news that a tick-induced meat allergy caused a 47-year-old New Jersey man to suddenly die.

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I had so many questions; did the tick cause the allergy? Was it a preexisting condition that flared up because of the tick bite? Was it a specific type of tick?

I'll try to break this down the best I can, because it's kind of a wild story.

New Jersey Man Became Ill After Eating Steak

According to CBS, in 2024, a New Jersey man went camping with his family, where they had steaks for dinner.

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Several hours after eating the steak, the man became violently ill, suffering from diarrhea, vomiting, and severe abdominal pain.

After the symptoms passed, instead of seeking medical attention, the man figured it was just a weird one-off. I probably would have thought the same thing.

Symptoms Returned Weeks Later After Eating A Hamburger

Then, a few weeks later, that same man had a hamburger at a barbecue, and several hours later, he was found passed out in his bathroom, surrounded by vomit.

The man was pronounced dead a few hours later at the hospital; his cause of death was listed as unknown.

Blood Tests Revealed Alpha Gal Syndrome

Of course, the man's wife was suspicious, so she had his blood tested.

Turns out, the man had Alpha-Gal Syndrome, which was induced by tick bites he suffered from during that 2024 camping trip.

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Lone Star Tick Bites Linked To Alpha Gal Syndrome

Alpha-Gal Syndrome is an allergic reaction to mammalian-based meat, and in this case, it was induced after the man suffered several bites from a Lone Star tick.

This is the first documented case of AGS leading to a death like this, and it's a solid reminder of why we have to take extra precautions to avoid tick bites and tick-related illness in the Garden State.