Long Island health official discusses warning signs after tick-related meat allergy death in New Jersey
The warning was prompted by the death of a New Jersey man who was bitten by a tick in 2024.
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Health officials are warning the public about a new meat allergy spread by ticks.
The warning was prompted by the death of a New Jersey man who was bitten by a tick in 2024.
The 47-year-old died hours after eating a hamburger last summer, according to authorities, and doctors later linked his death to tick bites he got during a camping trip and an allergy to red meat.
The cause is called an Alpha-gal allergy, according to Dr. Brianne Navetta-Modrov, the Stony Brook Medicine Allergy and Immunology Clinic director.
"It's really important that patients are familiar with symptoms like hives, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting," Navetta-Modrov said. "Symptoms that may be signs of an allergic reaction, so they know it's appropriate to get care."
New Jersey's case was the first death to be attributed to the allergy, which is caused by bites from the lone-star tick, according to Navetta-Modrov.
The doctor said that because Long Island is heavily populated with ticks, anyone going hiking or doing other outdoor activities should wear long pants and socks as a form of protection from bites.
