A red meat allergy caused by ticks killed a N.J. man. Here’s what to know

Image: An adult female lone star tick. Image courtesy of the CDC. Article by Ava Pukatch. NPR – November 15, 2025. Research article: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Researchers say they believe they’ve documented the first known death from alpha-gal syndrome — a red meat allergy caused by tick bites. The findings, by researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The report says a 47-year-old airplane pilot in New Jersey fell ill four hours after eating a hamburger at a barbecue in 2024. The man’s son found him unconscious on the floor of a bathroom surrounded by vomit. […]

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