Overview
- Published in November 2025 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, the case documents the first confirmed fatality tied to alpha-gal syndrome.
- Postmortem testing detected alpha-gal–specific IgE and extraordinarily high tryptase levels exceeding 2,000 ng/mL, consistent with fatal anaphylaxis.
- The 47-year-old New Jersey man died in 2024 hours after eating a hamburger, two weeks after a severe overnight illness that began about four hours after a steak dinner.
- An initial autopsy found no cause of death, and the diagnosis emerged only after the man's wife sought further review that led UVA investigators to specialized testing.
- Researchers point to lone star tick exposure and a widening range as risk factors, while CDC data show over 110,000 suspected U.S. cases from 2010–2022 and significant gaps in clinician awareness.