First comes the unscratchable itching, and the angry blossoming of hives. Then stomach cramping, and—for the unluckiest few—difficulty breathing, passing out, and even death. In the last decade and a half, thousands of previously protein-loving Americans have developed a dangerous allergy to meat. And they all have one thing in common: the lone star tick.
Red meat, you might be surprised to know, isn't totally sugar-free. It contains a few protein-linked saccharides, including one called galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, or alpha-gal, for short. More and more people are learning this the hard way, when they suddenly develop a life-threatening allergy to that pesky sugar molecule after a tick bite.
Yep, one bite from the lone star tick—which gets its name from the Texas-shaped splash of white on its back—is enough to reprogram your immune system to forever reject even the smallest nibble of perfectly crisped bacon. For years, physicians and researchers only reported the allergy in places the lone star tick calls home, namely the southeastern United States. But recently it's started to spread. The newest hot spots? Duluth, Minnesota, Hanover, New Hampshire, and the eastern tip of Long Island, where at least 100 cases have been reported in the last year. Scientists are racing to trace its spread, to understand if the lone star tick is expanding into new territories, or if other species of ticks are now causing the allergy.
The vegans did it?
(Score: 5, Funny) by Nerdfest on Monday June 19 2017, @06:37PM (3 children)
Found in the southeast states, has a Texas-shaped splotch on its back and causes an allergy to meat? That just reeks of a life-form bio-engineered to troll Texans.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Monday June 19 2017, @08:05PM
Exactly what i was thinking... like a tick in Canada that gives us an allergy to good beer and maple syrup.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by Dale on Monday June 19 2017, @08:26PM (1 child)
We do put our state image on everything (pasta, shower curtains, if you can think of it we have a version with Texas on it). Maybe we engineered the little buggers. Seems a bit off since we raise so much cattle, but maybe it was an experiment gone wrong.
(Score: 4, Funny) by AthanasiusKircher on Monday June 19 2017, @08:53PM
I can just see it now...
Meat-packer corporate scientist A: "How's that work going on that 'special' project?"
Meat-packer corporate scientist B: "Great. We've isolated a kind of infection that can result in meat allergies, for some animals in tests. But it should be easy to engineer this to create an opposing effect, resulting in lifelong meat dependency. If they don't eat beef every 24 hours, they'll die. Record profits for us, and those vegans won't know what got 'em!"
Scientist A: "What's the delivery vector?"
Scientist B: "Lone Star Ticks! A special gift from cattle country. Isn't that great?"
Scientist A & B: "Mwah ha ha ha!!"
Scientist B: "Oh, wait. This container with the infected ticks is open... and empty?! Oops...."
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 19 2017, @06:38PM (1 child)
maybe it's not ticks, but mosquitoes.
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Monday June 19 2017, @08:40PM
Off topic, what do you think of the new editor at Analog? I'm not a fan, I used to look forward to reading the issues, now it's a chore. The stories just aren't interesting anymore.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 19 2017, @06:39PM (8 children)
Vegans? Nah. However, the Illuminati is constantly talking about the need for people to shift their diet from cattle to insects, you know, for the sake of that catch-all power-grab:
Global WarmingClimate Change(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 19 2017, @06:47PM (5 children)
What about transgenders? Can we somehow include them in this conspiracy theory? There should be a double-entendre with meat.
Transgenders suddenly start existing for the first time in human history, and people become allergic to meat. Coincidence? I think not!
I admit, though, the bug angle is pretty compelling too. Maybe the transgenders want to force us all to eat bugs.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 19 2017, @06:51PM (3 children)
I have another angle we could try. We could rope Muslims in as well, since they would want to get out ahead of immigration requirements forcing them to eat bacon. If enough people have an allergy to meat, obviously it wouldn't be practical to implement the bacon-eating test.
(Score: 3, Funny) by bob_super on Monday June 19 2017, @07:50PM (2 children)
Is it the Jews for bacon, the Indians for beef, the Californians and their fish tacos, the texans to keep good meat to themselves, the blacks tired of fried chicken jokes, the Asians plotting a tofu takeover ?
One small tick, so many conspiracy options...
(Score: 2) by edIII on Monday June 19 2017, @08:43PM
Sounds like the plot to Undercover Brother [youtube.com].
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 19 2017, @09:01PM
A Discordian is Required during his early Illumination to Go Off Alone & Partake Joyously of a Hot Dog on a Friday; this Devotive Ceremony to Remonstrate against the popular Paganisms of the Day: of Catholic Christendom (no meat on Friday), of Judaism (no meat of Pork), of Hindic Peoples (no meat of Beef), of Buddhists (no meat of animal), and of Discordians (no Hot Dog Buns).
(Score: 3, Funny) by Gaaark on Monday June 19 2017, @08:07PM
Americans (well, some at least) elect a meat head, and suddenly you're all developing allergies to meat. COINCIDENCE!?!?!
I. Think. Not!
;)
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by takyon on Monday June 19 2017, @08:51PM (1 child)
Insects are meat
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Tuesday June 20 2017, @12:21AM
Yess....but does insect meat contain the particular sugar that this allergen targets? Not clear. It's not even clear that fish does, though in both cases it well might.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Monday June 19 2017, @06:59PM
> for the unluckiest few—difficulty breathing, passing out, and even death.
... we watched S04E02 - /The Lion and the Rose/, sometimes known as "the purple wedding".
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 19 2017, @07:21PM (8 children)
So that's how it happened; I must have been bitten by a lone star tick. Except I was living in Portland Oregon at the time when I developed a lifelong meat allergy, so I'm going to blame Michael David Crawford for ruining my entire life. Do you have any idea how much money I've wasted on organic vegan food when I could have been eating cheap meat instead.
(Score: 2) by jcross on Monday June 19 2017, @07:35PM (7 children)
It might not be lifelong. I've heard that after some years of avoiding exposure to the ticks, the allergy fades, and I know of at least one case of that being true.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 19 2017, @07:45PM (3 children)
I think we should deport anybody who doesn't eat meat, no matter what their excuse is. "Allergy" my ass. They're a bunch of vegan Muslims and should be deported.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Monday June 19 2017, @08:10PM (2 children)
And AC's too.
'Cause!
Earache, my eye! Turn down that MUSIC!!
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by edIII on Monday June 19 2017, @08:19PM (1 child)
Dude.... I'm listening to that song right now as I read your post........
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Monday June 19 2017, @09:16PM
I know... that's why i posted it!
By the way... you can take off the pink tutu now. :)
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 19 2017, @08:07PM (1 child)
AIDS can be cured by raping virgin girls, and you can't become infected again either.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 19 2017, @08:44PM
Doesn't that only work when combined with circumcision?
(Score: 2) by vux984 on Monday June 19 2017, @09:16PM
My brother in law developed a moderately short lived meat allergy (as in it lasted a few years) and then it went away. I wonder if it could be related to a tick bite. As I recall, he did travel to Houston, and to New Orleans around when it happened.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 19 2017, @09:10PM
Naughty spawn, you face The Tick!
Oh wait... wrong tick... my bad...
(Score: 5, Funny) by inertnet on Monday June 19 2017, @09:24PM (2 children)
I dated an alpha-gal once, but she gave me a meet allergy.
(Score: 2) by mmcmonster on Monday June 19 2017, @10:42PM (1 child)
Heard the podcast about this a couple months ago.
http://www.radiolab.org/story/alpha-gal/ [radiolab.org]
Quite informative and interesting at the same time.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 20 2017, @12:20AM
Won't eat meat?! Deport her!
I'm a Murcan! I don't care about medical crap! Transgenders say they have medical crap too but that's obviously an excuse! Deport them all!
(Score: 5, Informative) by corey on Monday June 19 2017, @11:31PM (2 children)
Ahh, Americans, bacon shouldn't be burnt (crisped)! Its better thick, juicy and lightly browned.
(Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 20 2017, @01:44PM (1 child)
Gross
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 20 2017, @04:52PM
bacon is some geek thing, right?
it seemed to become some sort of geek phenomena in the late 90s and won't go away. it was just food before, but now it's achieved some sort of undeserved celebrity, like the Kardashians or Paris Hilton.
at least Paris grew up.