An Australian teenager who died after eating beef sausages on a camping trip has been confirmed as the nation’s first death from a tick-induced meat allergy.

New South Wales Deputy State Coroner Carmel Forbes Jeremy Webb died in 2022 from an anaphylactic reaction, which triggered an asthma attack.

This makes the teenager only the second person in the world confirmed to have died from “mammalian meat allergy”, after the 2024 fatal case of a man in the United States.

Here’s what you need to know about how tick bites can lead to a meat allergy.

How can ticks cause this?

In Australia, it’s mainly the bite of the eastern paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) that causes mammalian meat allergy.

The tick’s saliva naturally contains a sugar molecule called alpha-gal, short for galactose-α-1,3-galactose, a sugar not normally present in humans.

So when a tick bites, alpha-gal enters the blood stream and in some people prompts the body to produce molecules associated with an allergic response (known as IgE antibodies). So their body is “primed” for an allergic reaction, but doesn’t have one straight away.

But when a person later eats substances containing alpha-gal – meat, products containing gelatine such as lollies, or certain medicines – this can trigger an allergic response hours later.

This can range from hives, gut symptoms (such as cramping and diarrhoea), to a severe anaphylactic reaction that affects the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

Who’s at risk? Are cases rising?

While this latest Australian case involved a teenager, mammalian meat allergy typically occurs in older age groups.

In research that colleagues and I have just concluded and will be submitting for publication shortly, we’ve found that mammalian meat allergy peaks in Australians aged 45–75.

Females are at increased risk, accounting for about 60% of cases, but we don’t know what’s driving that.

Our analysis of 11 years of data to 2025 also showed that annual case numbers remained relatively stable until 2020, but have since grown rapidly, on average 22% year on year.

By 2024, we saw 787 people nationwide testing positive to alpha-gal antibodies.

But most (we estimate about 90%) of that increase is down to greater awareness and more testing for mammalian meat allergy.

Only about 10% is due to a real increase in disease prevalence. We don’t exactly know why this is happening. But hypotheses include a run of mild summmers/wet winters leading to higher tick numbers, or greater exposure to ticks as people move to the bush or urban fringes.

In our study we saw cases from every state and territory, although 96% of cases occurred within Ixodes holocyclus endemic regions along the east coast.

What was remarkable, though, was the extreme geographical clustering of cases in specific high-risk regions.

Hinterland regions of south-east Queensland and northern NSW, the northern beaches regions of Sydney, and NSW south coast in particular had disproportionately high case numbers.

Not just allergies

Exposure to alpha-gal may have other effects, other than triggering an allergic reaction from eating meat.

We are among a group of researchers exploring possible links with cardiovascular (heart) disease.

We’re working with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood to analyse blood from 5,000 donors, including from high-risk communities. We’re aiming to see if exposure to alpha-gal from tick bites might put certain people at higher risk of cardiovascular disease later in life.

The hypothesis is that exposure to the alpha-gal allergen leads to low-level inflammation of the plaques associated with coronary artery disease.

But we haven’t started analysing those samples, so it’s early days yet.

Prevention is best

There is no cure for mammalian meat allergy. So preventing tick bites is best:

• wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when walking or working in areas where there are ticks
• tuck pants into long socks
• wear a wide-brimmed hat
• wear light-coloured clothing
• use insect repellent, particularly ones containing DEET.

And if you are bitten by a tick, don’t use household tweezers to remove it. Use the methods described in this video instead.

Alexander Gofton, Senior Research Scientist, Health and Biosecurity, CSIRO

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Bushfires are currently burning in Australian states including Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia. In some areas, fire authorities have warned residents about the presence of smoke.

Bushfire smoke is harmful to our health. Tiny particles of ash can lodge deep in the lungs.

Exposure to this type of smoke may worsen existing conditions such as asthma, and induce a range of health effects from irritation of the eyes, nose and throat to changes in the cardiovascular system.

Public health recommendations during smoke events tend to provide general advice, and don’t often include advice specifically geared at children. But children are not just little adults. They are uniquely vulnerable to environmental hazards such as bushfire smoke for a number of reasons.

Different physiology, different behaviour

Children’s lungs are still developing and maturing.

Airways are smaller in children, especially young children, which is associated with greater rates of particle deposition – when particles settle on the surfaces of the airways.

Children also breathe more air per kilogram of body weight compared with adults, and therefore inhale more polluted air relative to their size.

Further, children’s detoxification systems are still developing, so environmental toxins take longer to effectively clear from their bodies.

Meanwhile, children’s behaviour and habits may expose them to more environmental toxins than adults. For example, they tend to do more physical activity and spend more time outdoors. Higher levels of physical activity lead to more air inhaled per kilogram of body weight.

Also, a normal and important part of children’s early play is exploring their environment, including by putting things in their mouth. This can result in kids ingesting soil, dust and dirt, which often contain environmental contaminants.

For these reasons, it’s important to consider the specific needs of children when providing advice on what to do when there’s smoke in the air.

Keeping our environments healthy

The Australian government offers recommendations for minimising the health risks from exposure to bushfire smoke. The main advice includes staying indoors and keeping doors and windows closed.

This is great advice when the smoke is thick outside, but air pollutants may still accumulate inside the home. So it’s important to air your home once the smoke outside starts to clear. Take advantage of wind changes to open up and get air moving out of the house with a cross breeze.

Kids are natural scientists, so get them involved. For example, you and your child can “rate” the air each hour by looking at a landmark outside your home and rating how clearly you can see it. When you notice the haze is reducing, open up the house and clear the air.

Because air pollutants settle onto surfaces in our home and into household dust, an easy way to protect kids during smoky periods is to do a daily dust with a wet cloth and vacuum regularly. This will remove pollutants and reduce ingestion by children as they play. Frequent hand washing helps too.

Healthy bodies and minds

Research exploring the effects of bushfire smoke exposure on children’s health is sparse. However, during smoke events, we do see an increase in hospital visits for asthma, as well as children reporting irritation to their eyes, nose and throat.

If your child has asthma or another medical condition, ensure they take any prescribed medications on a regular schedule to keep their condition well controlled. This will minimise the risk of a sudden worsening of their symptoms with bushfire smoke exposure.

Make sure any action plans for symptom flare-ups are up to date, and ensure you have an adequate supply of in-date medication somewhere easy to locate and access.

Kids can get worried during bushfires, and fire emergencies have been linked with a reduction in children’s mental health. Stories such as the Birdie’s Tree books can help children understand these events do pass and people help one another in times of difficulty.

Learning more about air pollution can help too. Our group has a children’s story explaining how air pollution affects our bodies and what can help.

It’s also important for parents and caregivers not to get too stressed, as children cope better when their parents manage their own anxiety and help their children do the same. Try to strike a balance between being vigilant and staying calm.

What about masks?

N95 masks can protect the wearer from fine particles in bushfire smoke, but their use is a bit complicated when it comes to kids. Most young children won’t be able to fit properly into an N95 mask, or won’t tolerate the tight fit for long periods. Also, their smaller airways make it harder for young children to breathe through a mask.

If you choose to use an N95 mask for your children, it’s best to save them for instances when high-level outdoor exposure is unavoidable, such as if you’re going outside when the smoke is very thick.

N95 masks should be replaced after around four hours or when they become damp.

If your child has an existing heart or lung condition, consult their doctor before having them wear an N95 mask.

Our team is currently recruiting for a study exploring the effects of bushfire smoke in children. If you live in south east Queensland and are interested in participating in the event of a bushfire or hazard reduction burn near your home, please express your interest here.

Dwan Vilcins, Group leader, Environmental Epidemiology, Children’s Health Environment Program, The University of Queensland; Nicholas Osborne, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, and Paul D. Robinson, Conjoint Professor in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.