<Tr> <Th> Treatment </Th> <Td> None </Td> </Tr> <P> Alpha - gal allergy, also known as meat allergy or Mammalian Meat Allergy (MMA), is a reaction to galactose - alpha - 1, 3 - galactose (alpha - gal), whereby the body is overloaded with immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies on contact with the carbohydrate . The alpha - gal molecule is found in all mammals apart from Old World monkeys and the apes, which include humans . Anti-Gal is a human natural antibody which interacts specifically with the mammalian carbohydrate structure Gal alpha 1 - 3Gal beta 1 - 4GlcNAc - R, termed, the alpha - galactosyl epitope . Whereas anti-Gal is abundant in humans, apes and Old World monkeys, it is absent from New World monkeys, prosimians and nonprimate mammals . </P> <P> Bites from certain ticks, such as the lone star tick in the US, which can transfer this carbohydrate to the victim have been implicated in the development of this delayed allergic response which is triggered by the consumption of mammalian meat products . Despite myths to the contrary, an alpha - gal allergy does not require the afflicted to become a vegetarian, as poultry and fish do not trigger a reaction . </P> <P> The allergy most often occurs in the central and southern United States, which corresponds to the distribution of the lone star tick . In the Southern United States, where the tick is most prevalent, allergy rates are 32% higher than elsewhere . However, as doctors are not required to report the number of patients suffering the alpha - gal allergies, the true number of affected individuals is unknown . While there is no known cure, symptoms of the allergy may recede over time . Some patients report observing symptoms for over 20 years . </P>

Tick borne disease that makes you allergic to meat