'If only people knew what a tick could do' - the deadly meat allergy caused by tick bites
A mother is raising awareness about alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-borne meat allergy, following the death of her teenage son. The condition, which causes severe anaphylaxis after consuming mammalian meat, is increasingly being recognized as a serious health threat.
Why it matters
It highlights a growing, under-diagnosed public health risk that can be fatal if not properly identified by medical professionals.
Image source, Supplied: Myfanwy Webb Image caption, Jeremy Webb died of anaphylaxis triggered by tick-induced mammalian meat allergy
When Myfanwy Webb looks back at her birthday party five years ago, she is overcome with regret - remembering what she now sees as a missed opportunity to save her son's life.
Hours after a celebratory lunch at a restaurant Jeremy began having difficulty breathing. His parents called an ambulance, and the then-15-year-old began vomiting.
At the hospital, doctors noted that Jeremy had a suspected meat allergy, but ultimately blamed the episode on his asthma, which he'd had since he was a toddler. He was sent home the next day.
"I made the wrong decision," Webb says, wishing she had asked for more testing. If she had, doctors might have established that Jeremy had actually been suffering from anaphylaxis, and sent him home with an EpiPen.
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