There’s a New Tick Issue to Worry About — Food Allergies From Tick Bites?

Ticks have been a thriving this season and it seems like our problems with them may worsen.

Prior to this, we were aware of the threat of Lyme Disease from a tick bite, until the Lone Star tick arrived. If you’ve been bitten by a Lone Star, you begin itching in one spot, then see hives, possibly incur difficulty breathing, then you may even pass out. According to Wired.com, the end result could be death.

It turns out, thousands of people who can normally eat meat, developed a meat allergy following a bite from the Lone Star Tick. This particular tick got the name “Lone Star” because of a marking that appears as a star on it’s body.

Wired.Com reports that one single bite from this tick:

...is enough to reprogram your immune system to forever reject even the smallest nibble of perfectly crisped bacon.

The Lone Star tick was until recently found in the south, but it’s now been spotted as far North as New Hampshire. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is hoping to find improved treatments for people who have been bitten by these ticks. The CDC has published a tick distribution map, which alerts us to where ticks are most likely to be found.