The “bullies of the tick world” are on the hunt

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Terry Gross· Host0:14

This is Fresh Air. I'm Terry Gross. As you head out to summer barbecues, picnics, hikes, and other great summer activities, you may already be vigilant about ticks because of Lyme disease, but there is a potentially more dangerous tick that you may not be aware of called the lone star. And unlike other ticks, it actively pursues its hosts. The lone star is spreading across vast regions of the U.S., and the illness it carries, the Alpha-Gal Syndrome, is spreading in more than 30 countries on six continents, often spread by various other ticks. The Alpha-Gal Syndrome is more difficult to diagnose and treat than Lyme disease, and the symptoms are more severe. In many cases, the victim develops an allergy to all red meat, including nearly microscopic particles of it. The allergy can become so extreme it can kill you. Milder cases can change your life if you're a meat eater or if you have cows or work on a cattle ranch or in the food industry, including restaurants. Pest control experts and medical research scientists have been confounded about what to do. In an article in The New Yorker titled The Tick That Hunts Down Its Hosts,