As if there are not already enough reasons to avoid ticks, a symptom can develop in which a bite from a certain kind of tick causes an allergic reaction to red meat.
A bite from the lone star tick, across the eastern half of the United States, can cause severe symptoms to develop after eating mammalian meat such as pork, beef and lamb.
Symptom include hives, shortness of breath and can lead to an anaphylactic reaction. A bite can even be fatal, according to Ronald Saff, an allergist from Tallahassee, Fla.
These ticks are spreading outward from their normal eastern U.S. territories into new states.
Two factors that contribute to the spreading of the lone star tick are :
- As birds migrate, they often drop the ticks into far away regions.
- The rising ‘global warming’ temperatures are making it so these ticks are able to survive in places they once could not.
Female lone star ticks have a white dot on their backs, while males do not.
Lone Star Tick
It is important to protect yourself against ticks while enjoying time outdoors. Below are a few great links to resources on how to do so.
