Meat, dairy allergies from tick bites “skyrocketing” on Martha’s Vineyard, expert says

There’s a new medical issue on Martha’s Vineyard, and it’s impacting the way people eat. It’s known as “alpha-gal syndrome,” and is not a tick-borne illness, but rather an allergy in response to a tick bite. 

“It’s skyrocketing across the island,” explained Patrick Roden-Reynolds, a biologist and tick researcher on Martha’s Vineyard. 

The allergy can come in response to a bite from a Lone Star tick, which are common in the south but have recently shown up in large numbers on the Vineyard – due to a combination of climate and an unusually large deer population, experts say. 

Public health burden

“In the last 15 years, the Lone Star tick has gone from non-existent on the island to fully abundant and everywhere,” Roden-Reynolds explained. “So, the way I’ve been explaining it, our public health burden with just deer ticks and Lyme disease was, you know, already here at our eyeballs, and now with the Lone Star tick and alpha-gal concerns, it’s way above our head.” 

The allergy can cause a range of symptoms up to serious anaphylaxis in response to eating or even being near mammal meat, dairy, and some mammal-related products inside medicine. 

“Alpha-gal syndrome has been so explosive on Martha’s Vineyard that pretty much it comes up in every conversation that I have, ticks or alpha-gal syndrome, even without folks knowing what I do for work,” explained Lea Hamner, an epidemiologist on the island. 

Hamner provided WBZ with a graph that shows the increase in positive allergy testing on the island – from 32 in 2021 to more than 500 positive tests in 2024. 

There is still a lot to learn about the allergy, Hamner says, though one thing is known: people can go into remission, and an exacerbating force that makes the allergy worse is an increase in tick bites. 

Preventing tick bites 

“One thing that does influence whether you have a shot at remission is whether you stop getting tick bites,” Hamner said. “More tick bites can send you back into allergy or keep you there. And so that’s one of the really key things, is preventing more tick bites.” 

How to prevent tick bites? According to experts: 

• Use bug spray with DEET
• Wear long clothing when possible
• Do a full body scan after a walk outside
• Learn how to fully remove a tick, including its head  

Restaurants changing menus

The prevalence of the allergy has changed the way restaurants are doing business. 

“Restaurants, food trucks, and other food establishments are including alpha-gal-friendly menu items on their menu,” Roden-Reynolds explained. “Alpha-gal is now a selection you can choose on your list of allergies if you’re ordering takeout, too.”