Overview
- The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice published the case detailing the first well‑documented fatality associated with alpha‑gal syndrome.
- A 47‑year‑old New Jersey man died hours after eating a hamburger weeks after a similar post‑steak illness, with the initial autopsy labeled as sudden unexplained death before postmortem review.
- Postmortem testing found alpha‑gal–specific IgE and extraordinarily elevated tryptase levels exceeding 2,000 ng/mL, a pattern consistent with fatal anaphylaxis.
- The man had numerous ankle bites earlier that summer likely from lone star tick larvae often mistaken for chiggers, highlighting a common exposure and identification gap.
- Researchers and allergy groups urge clinicians to consider AGS in 3–6‑hour delayed gastrointestinal collapses after mammalian meat, noting the tick’s expanding range, more than 110,000 suspected U.S. cases since 2010, and higher research estimates.