It’s summer and the ticks are out.
Most people know that getting bitten by a deer tick can lead to Lyme disease.
But there are lots of other ticks plus a new one that is much more common this year. and causing a lot of disease – The Lone Star Tick.
The Lone Star tick has a small white patch on it’s back, which is how it got its name. It won’t cause Lyme disease, but it will cause illnesses include ehrlichiosis; red meat allergy; and Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness (STARI), which produces rashes similar to those seen with Lyme disease.
The red meat allergy happens when the tick releases a carbohydrate called alpha-gal into the bloodstream. And it you eat beef, or pork or meet of any kind for the rest of your life, you may get an anaphylactic reaction that can kill you. A case like this was recently reported as a special case in the New England Journal of Medicine.
So tuck your pants leg into your socks and check for ticks when you come in from a walk where there is tall grass or old leaves. It could save your life.
Click Here to listen to Tick Tock Tick and find out what to do to prevent tick borne diseases.
