New Jersey man drops dead hours after eating hamburger, leads to shocking discovery by doctors

Being bit by the Lone Star tick can make humans fatally allergic to animal meat, warns Dr Thomas Platts-Mills.

In the summer of 2024, a 47-year-old New Jersey man experienced a series of medical events that eventually provided the first confirmed evidence of a fatal reaction to a tick-borne meat allergy.

Lone Star tick bites can cause sensitivity to animal meat.(Unsplash)

Previously healthy, the man was engaged in routine outdoor activities with his family, unaware that his immune system had been fundamentally altered.

The first indication of a problem occurred during a camping trip. After a steak dinner at 10 pm, the man awoke at 2 am with abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and vomiting.

While the symptoms subsided by morning, he later told his son that the episode had felt life-threatening.

Two weeks later, the man attended a barbecue and consumed a hamburger. Shortly after, he began to feel unwell. Minutes later, his son discovered him collapsed in the bathroom. He was pronounced dead shortly after.

How did a hamburger trigger a fatal reaction?

The case study, which has been published in in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, notes that the initial autopsy provided no clear explanation for the fatality, and the official cause was listed as "sudden unexplained death."

Seeking further clarity, the man’s widow requested a secondary review of the findings.

Dr Thomas Platts-Mills, MD, PhD, a UVA Health physician and internationally recognised allergy specialist, was then contacted to investigate if alpha gal sensitivity had a role to play in the death.

Dr Mills had originally identified the Alpha-gal syndrome years ago. Alpha-gal is a sugar molecule found in most mammals but absent in humans.

Sensitivity to this sugar develops after a bite from the Lone Star tick, which recalibrates the human immune system to treat mammalian meat as a threat.

Upon analysing post-mortem blood samples, Platts-Mills confirmed that the man had been sensitised to alpha-gal. The testing revealed an extreme immune response consistent with fatal anaphylaxis.

While the man had not reported recent tick bites, his wife recalled approximately a dozen itchy bites around his ankles earlier that summer, which they had attributed to chiggers.

The doctor noted that in the eastern United States, bites that are thought to be from chiggers are frequently from Lone Star tick larvae.

Analysis of the reaction

Researchers believe the severity of the reaction was likely intensified by several biological cofactors.

On the day of his death, the man had consumed alcohol, was exposed to ragweed pollen, and had engaged in physical exercise—variables known to accelerate allergic responses.

The intensity of the reaction could also be attributed to the fact that the man rarely consumed red meat.

Doctor warns of growing risk of Alpha-gal syndrome

The case highlights Alpha-gal syndrome as a growing public health concern. The increase in deer population in many states facilitates the spread of the Lone Star tick into new territories, warned Dr Mills.

"It is important that both doctors and patients who live in an area of the country where Lone Star ticks are common should be aware of the risk of sensitisation," stated Dr Mills.

"More specifically, if they have unexpected episodes of severe abdominal pain occurring several hours after eating mammalian meat, they should be investigated for possible sensitisation to the oligosaccharide alpha-gal."

"The important information for the public is: First, that severe abdominal pain occurring 3 to 5 hours after eating beef, pork, or lamb should be investigated as a possible episode of anaphylaxis,” he further added.

“Second, tick bites that itch for more than a week or larvae of ticks, often called 'chiggers,' can induce or increase sensitisation to mammalian-derived meat.”

“On the other hand, most individuals who have mild to moderate episodes of hives can control symptoms with an appropriate diet."

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.