Jeffrey Wilson MD, PhD
The New York Times interviews Jeff Wilson, MD, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Immunology, about alpha-gal syndrome, a meat allergy caused by a tick bite.
Once considered rare, alpha-gal syndrome has become a notable public health concern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that up to 450,000 people in the U.S. may have experienced it over the past 15 years.
A bite from the lone star tick appears to trigger the immune system to produce a surge of antibodies, setting off an allergic reaction. A key question for allergists is whether elevated levels of those antibodies are linked to other health risks.
“That’s sort of an elephant in the room for me,” said Dr. Wilson, who has explored the potential link to heart disease. “If somebody makes alpha-gal antibodies,” even if they have never had a bad reaction, “should we be talking about dietary modification?” he questions.
Read full article at The New York Times. (Subscription may be required)
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