Barbecue is a staple in most Midwestern diets, but for one Kansas man, it nearly cost him his life, all thanks to a tick bite.
“I knew something was wrong when I was in the ER in September of this last year,” Brian McCornack told FOX Weather, via The New York Post.
Earlier that day, McCornack, a professor and head of entomology at Kansas State University, was at the state fair in Hutchinson, examining insect collections and visiting colleagues. On his way home, he stopped for a brisket and pulled pork sandwich.
Two hours later, while refueling, he noticed an itch on his wrist. By the time he arrived home in Manhattan, hives had spread all over his body. The itching intensified, accompanied by shaking, dizziness, and difficulty breathing.
“My son thought I was having a heart attack,” McCornack recalled. Desperate for relief, he took some Benadryl and tried to lie down. But the symptoms persisted.
“This was not normal,” he said. “I’ve never experienced that before, and went to the ER.”
At the hospital, McCornack was diagnosed with anaphylactic shock, though the doctors couldn’t pinpoint the cause. After a battery of tests and medications, they prescribed him an EpiPen in case of future reactions. The mystery remained unsolved until the following week during a department presentation on alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), a condition triggered by tick bites.
“I said in my mind, ‘I think this is what I have,'” he recalled. His wife had the same thought.
AGS is an allergy to red meat and other mammal-derived products, caused by a reaction to alpha-gal, a sugar molecule introduced into the body by tick bites. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that the only treatment for AGS is to avoid consuming these products. More research is needed to fully understand the condition’s impact.
Most reported AGS cases in the U.S. occur in the South, East, and Central states, where lone star ticks are prevalent. Other tick species in different countries have also been linked to AGS.
“You can live with it,” McCornack said. “You just have to do a lot more self-advocacy after a diagnosis.”
Kansas State University is actively supporting efforts to raise awareness and build resilience against AGS. For more information about AGS advocacy and resources, visit hentomology.ksu.edu/ags.
Brian McCornack’s ordeal highlights the unexpected dangers of tick bites and the importance of understanding and managing life-threatening allergies. His story serves as a crucial reminder to be vigilant about tick prevention and to seek immediate medical attention when unusual symptoms arise.