1/9/2024 0 Comments Alpha gal syndromeMoreover, alpha-gal allergy is currently best understood as a “syndrome” because of the ubiquitous presence of mammalian-derived products and sources in seemingly innocuous exposures such as gummy bears and capsules (gelatin), medications (for example, heparin and thyroid hormone), bioprosthetics (for example, porcine heart valves), surgical mesh, select vaccines, and unlabeled “natural flavorings” in countless foods (Commins, 2016).Īlthough it is not fully established how AGS develops, accumulating evidence suggests that tick bites play a causal role (Commins et al., 2011). Unlike more traditional food allergies, reactions to alpha-gal occur 3-6 hours (or more) after consuming mammalian meat, and this prolonged delay frequently creates a challenge in diagnosis (Commins et al., 2014 Flaherty, Kaplan, & Jerath, 2017 Levin et al., 2019). People who develop AGS most commonly report allergic reactions after eating beef, pork, or lamb (Commins et al., 2014). BackgroundĪlpha-gal Syndrome (AGS) is an allergy to the carbohydrate galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (“alpha-gal”) that is present in lower mammals such as cows, sheep, pigs, cats, and dogs (Levin et al., 2019). Equally, note that references may state “mammalian meat” or “red meat” yet these also refer to non-primate mammalian meat, which is the primary source of alpha-gal. For the purposes of this report, the term “mammalian meat” and “mammalian-derived” will be used to refer to non-primate mammalian meat (beef, pork, lamb, etc.) and its animal sources as these are alpha-gal containing foods or products. Chicken, turkey (that is, poultry), fish and shellfish (that is, seafood) do not have alpha-gal and are safe for patients with Alpha-gal Syndrome (AGS) allergy to consume. Alpha-gal is present in the milk from these animal sources as well as their organ meats. Examples of commonly consumed mammalian meats that contain alpha-gal include beef, pork, lamb, venison, rabbit, goat, squirrel, buffalo, etc. Mammals are warm- blooded animals that give live birth, have hair (or fur), and nurse their young. DefinitionsĪlpha-gal is a carbohydrate found in all mammals but not in humans or Great Apes. The vote to submit the report indicates general agreement with the content of the document, but it does not necessarily indicate complete agreement with each and every statement in the full report. Members voted to approve submission of the report to the Working Group and on the wording of each of the possible actions contained in the report. All subcommittee members actively participated in the development of this report. Readers should not consider the report or any part of it to be guidance or instruction regarding the diagnosis, care, or treatment of tick-borne diseases or to supersede in any way existing guidance. Department of Health and Human Services, or any other component of the Federal Government. Information and opinions in this report do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Working Group, the U.S.
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