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marmar

(76,991 posts)
Sun Nov 11, 2012, 11:10 AM Nov 2012

Ticks are turning victims into vegetarians


from Grist:



Ticks are turning victims into vegetarians
By Susie Cagle


Are you ready to never read “blood meal” the same way again?



There is now scientific confirmation of the tick-borne meat allergies we first told you about in August. From ABC News:

A bite from the lone star tick, so-called for the white spot on its back, looks innocent enough. But researchers say saliva that sneaks into the wound might trigger a reaction to meat agonizing enough to convert lifelong carnivores into wary vegetarians.

“People will eat beef and then anywhere from three to six hours later start having a reaction; anything from hives to full-blown anaphylactic shock,” said Dr. Scott Commins, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.


Lone star ticks are an “aggressive” species, but scientists are having a hard time proving a causal relationship between the tick bites and the meat allergies. What they do know: “blood levels of antibodies for alpha-gal, a sugar found in beef, lamb and pork, rise after a single bite from the lone star tick.” ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://grist.org/news/ticks-are-turning-victims-into-vegetarians/



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Ticks are turning victims into vegetarians (Original Post) marmar Nov 2012 OP
Wow, crazy. nt PETRUS Nov 2012 #1
I've been vegetarian since '89. I still hate ticks. HopeHoops Nov 2012 #2
I generally eat red meat once a year Warpy Nov 2012 #3

Warpy

(110,913 posts)
3. I generally eat red meat once a year
Sun Nov 11, 2012, 05:33 PM
Nov 2012

in the fall when the cold starts to move in. That's about the only time I ever crave it and then since I eat so little of it, I spring for the grass fed, organic stuff.

The rest of the year it's fish or poultry and generally used as a flavoring and not the main event.

That tick wouldn't do much to me, in other words.

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