Berkshire Urgent Cares Report 2 Alpha-gal Cases as Northeast Tick ER Visits Rise to 188
Updated
Updated · Berkshire Eagle · May 27
Berkshire Urgent Cares Report 2 Alpha-gal Cases as Northeast Tick ER Visits Rise to 188
1 articles · Updated · Berkshire Eagle · May 27
Berkshire Health Systems said all three county urgent care centers are seeing more tick-related visits, including two Alpha-gal syndrome cases this season.
One case involved an Egremont resident bitten by a Lone Star tick, a species more common in the South that can trigger a red-meat and dairy allergy.
CDC data show Northeast emergency-department visits tied to tick bites reached 188 in April, up from 131 a year earlier and the second-highest April level since 2017.
Local officials linked the rise to warmer weather and climate change pushing southern vector-borne diseases north, while stressing Alpha-gal remains rare and not every Lone Star tick bite causes it.
Providers urged prevention and prompt care: remove ticks within 24 hours when possible, seek urgent care if parts remain or attachment may have lasted longer, and avoid unproven social-media removal methods.
Beyond the meat allergy, what other serious diseases are invading ticks carrying into our neighborhoods?
How is climate change causing a southern tick to trigger a bizarre red meat allergy in the Northeast?