The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) has long been associated with alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), the red meat allergy that has become increasingly prevalent. However, the latest issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases from the CDC reveals that the lone star tick is not the lone suspect.

What is AGS?

The steady stream of saliva released by the A. americanum tick bite, to keep its prey's blood flowing, contains a sugar molecule called alpha-gal. Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is not caused by a bacterium or virus like lyme disease or the heartland virus. The syndrome is instead an immune reaction to alpha-gal, a sugar found in almost all non primate animals, such as cows, horses and deer. The tick bite triggers an immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody response in the body. People who mount this response develop an allergy to red meat. AGS was discovered in 2009, and the emergence of food allergies, following the tick bite, varies from hours to months after eating red meat. Researchers continue to study and unlock the perplexities of AGS.

Currently, the CDC shows high concentrations of AGS in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

The new tick in town

Cases of AGS in Washington and Maine have emerged, which is outside the territory of the lone star tick (predominately in the southern, midwestern, and mid-Atlantic regions). The CDC article links these cases of AGS to Ixodes scapularis, also called black-legged or deer ticks.

What this means to PMPs

• Expand your client's education. Let customers know about the potential risks posed of AGS by a wider range of tick species, not just the lone star tick. 
• Expand your tick management program and training. Emphasize the importance of comprehensive tick control measures and learn how to target multiple species. Protect yourself and your team with proper personal protective equipment (PPE) when treating tick accounts.
• Prepare for increased public awareness. It’s a good idea to create a script for your office and sales teams to use as the weather gets warmer and calls come in about tick control and prevention. It’s important to sound authoritative, with the data to back you up, but not frightening. Let callers know that you can help them mitigate the risk.