By Stephen Smoot
Most Americans know about the connections between the miniscule deer tick and Lyme Disease, caused by the insect transmitting a bacterium. More recently, incidences related to a condition spread by the lone star tick have expanded throughout the Eastern United States.
And Delegate Kathie Hess Crouse from Putnam County is on a mission to spread information about the tick and the condition it spreads called alpha-gal.
She told how, “I was here in Buffalo (Putnam County) one Saturday. The next morning, I had a tick attached to me.” Crouse took the tick, bagged it, and confirmed her suspicion that a lone star tick had, in fact bitten her.
Though it carries the nickname of Texas, the tick was first described by the Swedish biologist Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. Most ignored it as a threat to human health for a long time because it does not transmit Lyme Disease.
It can, however, spread pathogens that cause ehrlichiosis, rickettsiosis, tularemia, and theileriosis.
More seriously, it also spreads a carbohydrate molecule that can spark allergic reactions ranging from mild to very severe. The most serious cases result in anaphylactic shock, which can result in death.
The resulting alpha-gal syndrome is the 10th most common food allergy in the United States.
Every mammal with the exception of human beings and many other primates carries the alpha-gal molecule in their systems. The lone star tick, and the Centers for Disease Control speculates possibly other ticks as well, picks up the molecule when it ingests blood from a non-human, then transmits it to a person when it bites him or her.
Once in a human body, it can spark a broad range of potential allergic reactions. All of these pertain to food products made from mammals. One could get reactions to some, all, or none of the meats, dairy, and other products.
Unlike Lyme Disease, which is a bacterium that swift use of antibiotics can eliminate, alpha-gal syndrome comes from the body’s own defenses
Crouse explained that products of mammalian origin end up in foods that one might not expect. Chicken breast soaked in brine sometimes comes into contact with mammal products. Processed foods often contain dairy or other fats from mammals.
Even more significant, mammal products often make up parts of over the counter and prescription medicines and can also create the same allergic reactions. Additionally, few consider the presence of food products in medication whether they are prescribing or taking them.
Alpha-gal syndrome can bring symptoms from two to eight hours after exposure to the food. Again, it appears that each individual experiences the syndrome in a different fashion.
Three members of the West Virginia State Legislature have contracted the condition. Two, not including Crouse, are symptomatic. Crouse plans to create a bill based on similar legislation passed in Virginia that mandates the reporting of confirmed cases to the alpha-gal database at the Centers for Disease Control. Crouse explains that this will help the medical community gain more vital information about the disease while also showing the scope of the problem in the Mountain State.
She plans to run a brief bill to establish the mandate in the next legislative session.
The lone star tick’s range extends between the East Coast through the Appalachian Mountains to the Midwest. Crouse stated that the disease is prevalent in Ohio and Kentucky but little information exists about its spread in West Virginia.
Additionally, few medical professionals in West Virginia have much knowledge about the condition. Many of the closest specialists practice outside of the state. For her case, Crouse visited an allergist at the University of North Carolina and will undergo treatment in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Another frustration comes from the fact that the medical community knows very little about the condition, much less about effective treatments.
Crouse emphasizes that in a state like West Virginia with so many outdoor activities, that awareness is key. Taking general precautions when going into the woods or fields with tall grass, as well as body searches for ticks upon return, will lessen the chance of contracting this and other tick-borne conditions.
