<unk>  — or mammalian meat allergy (MMA) — is a type of meat allergy characterized by a delayed onset of symptoms (3–8 hours) after ingesting mammalian meat and resulting from past exposure to tick bites. It was first reported in 2002. Symptoms of the allergy include rash, hives, nausea or vomiting, difficulty breathing, drop in blood pressure, dizziness or faintness and severe stomach pain.<unk>  is a reaction to<unk> actose-alpha-1,3-galactose <unk> -gal"), whereby the body is overloaded with immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies on contact with the carbohydrate. Anti-gal is a human natural antibody that interacts specifically with the mammalian carbohydrate structure<unk> <unk>  1-3Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc-R, termed, the<unk> -galactosyl epitope. The<unk> -gal molecule is found in all mammals except catarrhines (apes and Old World monkeys), the taxonomic branch that includes humans. Bites from certain ticks, such as the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) in the US, and the paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) in Australia, which can transfer this carbohydrate to a victim, have been implicated in the development of this delayed allergic response to consumption of mammalian meat products. Individuals with<unk>  do not need to become strict vegetarians, because poultry, fish, and in rare cases for some people, lean meat such as venison does not trigger a reaction.<unk>  has been reported in 17 countries on all 6 continents where humans are bitten by ticks, particularly the United States and Australia. As of November 2019 Australia has the highest rate of mammalian meat allergy and tick anaphylaxis in the world. In the US, the allergy most often occurs in the central and southern regions, which corresponds to the distribution of the lone star tick. In the Southern United States, where the tick is most prevalent, allergy rates are 32% higher than elsewhere. However, as doctors are not required to report the number of patients with<unk> , the true number of affected individuals is unknown.<unk> -gal has also been shown to exist in the saliva of Ixodes scapularis but not Amblyomma maculatum.<unk> es are the first known food allergies that present the possibility of delayed anaphylaxis. It is also the first known food-related allergy associated with a carbohydrate, rather than a protein. Other mammalian products containing<unk> -gal other than meat such as milk and gelatin may also trigger an allergic reaction.
Alpha-gal allergy
Nickel allergy
Soy allergy
Garlic allergy
Wheat allergy
Sesame allergy
Poultry allergy
Latex allergy