First death reported from meat allergy caused by tick bite

A 47-year-old airline pilot from New Jersey is the first person known to have died from alpha-gal syndrome , a red meat allergy caused by a tick bite.

Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine publicly reported the cause of death Wednesday after months of investigation. Their findings were published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice .

The man’s death had previously been seen as a mystery, since medical examinations showed no evidence of a heart attack or other life-threatening issues.

According to the researchers, the man started feeling sick four hours after consuming a hamburger at a barbecue in September 2024. When he returned home, he was well enough to mow the lawn and read the paper. But shortly after 7:30 p.m. that day, the man’