Archive for the ‘Testing’ Category

WHO’s New PCR Rules Guarantee COVID Cases Will Drop Making it Look Like The ‘Vaccine’ is Working

The World Health Organization initiated new rules regarding the PCR assays used for testing for COVID-19.  The WHO previously recommended 45 amplification cycles to determine if someone was infected with COVID.  They now state:

“Careful interpretation of weak positive results is needed (1). The cycle threshold (Ct) needed to detect virus is inversely proportional to the patient’s viral load. Where test results do not correspond with the clinical presentation, a new specimen should be taken and retested using the same or different NAT technology.

WHO reminds IVD users that disease prevalence alters the predictive value of test results; as disease prevalence decreases, the risk of false positive increases (2). This means that the probability that a person who has a positive result (SARS-CoV-2 detected) is truly infected with SARS-CoV-2 decreases as prevalence decreases, irrespective of the claimed specificity.

Most PCR assays are indicated as an aid for diagnosis, therefore, health care providers must consider any result in combination with timing of sampling, specimen type, assay specifics, clinical observations, patient history, confirmed status of any contacts, and epidemiological information.  Source.

It is widely known that anything over 30 cycles magnifies the samples so much that even insignificant viral DNA sequences end up showing up positive even if viral load is extremely low or the virus is inactive and poses no threat.

COVID PCR tests don’t detect a virus, but identify a piece of RNA presumed to be from a virus.
Also, PCR tests can’t distinguish between inactive viruses and infectious viruses.

Now, with the WHO’s lower PCR thresholds, it’s practically guaranteed that COVID “case” numbers will drop dramatically around the world.

We’ve been warned about this tinkering with cycles to give whatever message our ‘authorities’ want us to believe. Previously they need high case numbers to justify draconian lockdowns, so they instituted a high cycle threshold. Now they desperately need us to believe their lucrative vaccines are working so they need case numbers to drop – hence the lowered PCR cycles.

For more on PCR tests:

COVID-19 would barely be a blip on the radar screen if the WHO hadn’t changed the definition of a ‘pandemic’.

The WHO also eliminated the pre-COVID consensus that herd immunity could be achieved by allowing a virus to spread through a population, and insists that that it comes solely from vaccines.  

Hopefully their agenda is becoming crystal clear to everyone.

Category:

Activism, Testing, vaccines, Viruses

Dr. Kinderlehrer’s Experience With Tick-borne Illness & His New Book

https://www.lymedisease.org/kinderlehrer-book-intro-excerpt/

“If the cure doesn’t work, it means you don’t have Lyme disease” (NOT!)

Jan. 13, 2021

Dr. Dan Kinderlehrer

Dr. Dan Kinderlehrer practices internal medicine in Denver, Colorado. In the following excerpt from his forthcoming book, he discusses how his personal experience with Lyme disease led him to focus his medical practice on the treatment of tick-borne infections. 

Sometimes there is a moment in a person’s life that, although seemingly insig­nificant at the time, heralds a drastic and unalterable change in everything that follows. For me, it was August 15, 1996.

The “insignificant event” was, I thought, a virus. I had a fever and chills. The fever was high, 104 degrees, and the chills made my teeth chatter and the bed shake. My body ached so much I felt like a discarded New England Patriot’s tackling dummy.

But I had no other symptoms commonly associated with the flu, no cough or respiratory congestion, and influenza does not occur in the summer. I didn’t have the upset stomach or diarrhea typical of a stomach bug, either. I never saw an insect bite, and I didn’t notice a rash. For two days I was so sick I stopped worrying I would die, and started fearing that I would live. On the third day, it was all just a memory.

It seemed quite strange, but since I was able to resume full activity, including sev­eral three-mile runs, I didn’t think much of it—until one week later, when it hit again. Once more, the fever, chills, and muscle aches lasted two days and then went away. Still pretty strange, I thought, but since I felt well after this relapse I chose to ignore it.

Denial works well when you feel okay. But when the symptoms recurred for the third time a week later, the denial stopped working and I began to worry. This time I went to see a physician friend of mine. Upon examination, he palpated an enlarged spleen. He ordered some blood tests, and the laboratory reported a positive antibody test to Lyme. The diagnosis came as a relief. The cause of my problems was a simple bacterial infection. Two weeks of antibiotics would clear it, and then I could resume my normal life.

Was I in for a surprise!

I tolerated the antibiotics without difficulty, and the fever and chills did not return. But instead of feeling better, I felt worse. The next symptom that hit me, and hit me hard, was insomnia. One night I woke up at 4:00 a.m., and couldn’t fall back to sleep. The next night I woke up at 3:00 a.m., the next at 2:00 a.m., and then 1:00 a.m., unable to go back to sleep. This went on for weeks. I only slept a few hours a night. I was exhausted. But even worse, I became consumed with anxiety.

I would lie awake through the dark hours of the night riddled with fear. Initially the apprehension focused on my sleeplessness, anticipating the difficulty of getting through the day in my worn-out state. Gradually the anxiety generalized into a constant dread that something terrible was about to happen—impending doom.

It wasn’t rational. It wasn’t something I could control with reason. It was just always there. It felt like a black cloud was enveloping me, cutting me off from any future. It was pure existential terror. It was so intense that some nights, as I lay awake with insomnia, I shook so violently that I added disrupting the San Andreas fault to my list of fears—and I was living in Boston!

Although I’m a physician, I had little experience with Lyme. So I mustered what energy I could—I phoned a Lyme specialist in Boston at the Tufts-New England Medical Center, my alma mater, who was considered a world expert in Lyme dis­ease and asked for advice. He listened courteously to my story as I described my history of symptoms and lab tests, but what he told me came as a shock.

“You don’t have Lyme,” he concluded.

I was confused. “Well, then, what do I have?”

“Something else,” he replied.

“But what about the lab tests?” I asked. “Using the Western blot technique, the assay demonstrated the presence of antibodies highly specific for Lyme. I even repeated the tests one month later, and they confirmed the initial results. Isn’t this the CDC criteria for the diagnosis of Lyme?”

“The laboratory must have been wrong,” he informed me.

“Why do you think I don’t have Lyme?” I responded.

“Because if you had Lyme, you’d be better by now.”

My first taste of controversy

I thanked him for his time, hung up the phone, and tried to make sense out of what I had just heard. I considered this doctor’s logic: if the cure didn’t work, I didn’t have the disease. I had had an acute illness with fever, chills, and mus­cle aches. I had blood tests that confirmed a diagnosis of Lyme. I lived in an area endemic for Lyme. I had seen deer ticks on our dog. I continued to feel terrible, but I didn’t have Lyme because I wasn’t better. I was getting my first taste of the contro­versies surrounding Lyme disease.

Next I consulted with a friend and colleague, a physician in upstate New York who treats a lot of people with Lyme. When I told him what the Lyme expert had said he replied, “Welcome to the Lyme wars.”

He informed me that there are two different Lyme camps: those who maintain that Lyme is hard to get and easy to treat, and those who believe Lyme is easy to get and hard to treat. The so-called Lyme expert was a strong proponent to the former. Given my personal experience, I now subscribed to the latter.

What is clear now is that while the Lyme expert was categorically wrong when he denied I had Lyme, he was correct that I did indeed have “something else.” The something else was a co-infection, specifically Babesia. However, this bug was under the radar in 1996. If I were taking my history now, I would immediately suspect this infection.

I have shared my story here because there are millions of people today suffer­ing as I did: people who are losing their cognitive function, are severely depressed, anxious and irritable, in chronic pain, and tired beyond exhaustion; people who are losing their jobs, are disabled, are going bankrupt, and whose families are breaking up; people who are contemplating suicide—and sometimes following through. The toll in medical costs and lost income is huge. The toll in human suffering is beyond calculation.

No magic pill

The bad news I learned on my journey is that there is no single treatment regi­men that will cure any chronic illness—no magic pill, no simple injection. Healing from chronic illness requires a multipronged and multidimensional approach. Each person is different, and treatment protocols need to be individualized. It requires assembling the pieces of a puzzle, with each person presenting his or her own clues. There is no single recipe for success.

While Lyme has been the worst thing that has ever happened to me, it has also been the best. This experience has been profoundly humbling.

There were times I felt so poorly that the only way I could get through the day was to tell myself that tomorrow I could commit suicide.

But Lyme has also blessed me with deep compas­sion and empathy for others who are suffering. Lyme has stirred in me a passionate commitment to help others who are challenged with this illness. Lyme has filled me with hope that each and every patient coming through my office door will get well. I can’t think of anything more rewarding or more gratifying than helping people restore their well-being.

My medical practice is now limited to treating people with tick-borne infec­tions. And despite living in Colorado, where the state Department of Health con­tinues to deny that one can acquire Lyme disease, I have a long waiting list that keeps growing. There is a huge need out there for more Lyme literate practitioners, and I hope this book will help both physicians and patients better address this tre­mendous demand.

Excerpted with permission from “Recovery from Lyme Disease: The Integrative Medicine Guide to Diagnosing and Treating Tick-Borne Illness” by Daniel A. Kinderlehrer, MD (Skyhorse Publishing), available for preorder now.

Read another excerpt of this book: No “cookbook answers” for Lyme treatment, whether acute or chronic

_______________________

**Comment**

Fantastic article and so incredibly true.  I can identify from experience with nearly everything he states.

This article reminds me of the saying, “You don’t get Lyme until you get Lyme.”

When I become depressed about the lack of help for those suffering with this, I remind myself that it’s just a matter of time before so many people become infected that they won’t be able to deny it any longer. 

Sad, but true.

Unfortunately, the rest of the world is beginning to experience the fact our public health ‘authorities’ are more concerned with profit than they are with patients:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2021/01/18/new-york-supreme-court-judge-saves-80-year-old-patient-from-death-by-ordering-hospital-to-give-life-saving-ivermectin/  Thankfully, this woman had a judge order the doctors to treat her appropriately.  It’s a sad day indeed when a life-saving drug has to be ordered to be given.

Category:

Lyme, Testing

New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law & the Lyme Study Commission

https://www.change.org/p/the-us-senate-calling-for-a-congressional-investigation-of-the-cdc-idsa-and-aldf

New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law and the Lyme Study Commission

JAN 13, 2021 — 

As a result of NH House Bill 490 a committee was established to study the limitations of serological diagnostic tests in determining the presence or absence of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases and the development of appropriate methods to educate physicians and the public with respect to the inconclusive nature of prevailing test methods.

I made the following statement in the December Zoom meeting:

“Current FDA approved testing is no better than a coin toss”

We will present documentation in ongoing meetings to support this claim.

Below is a 15yr old example: (Aucott was past Chair of the TBDWG and Auwaerter was past president of the IDSA)

Two-Year Evaluation of Borrelia burgdorferi Culture and Supplemental Tests for Definitive Diagnosis of Lyme Diseasehttps://jcm.asm.org/content/43/10/5080
Peggy Coulter,  Clara Lema,  Diane Flayhart,  Amy S. Linhardt,  John N. Aucott,  Paul G. Auwaerter, and  J. Stephen Dumler

Published 2005

Comparisons with qualitative clinical assessments

“Overall, initial serologic tests agreed with possible or probable clinical Lyme disease diagnosis in only 50% (40/80) of cases.” [COIN TOSS]

Lyme Study Committee Home Page:http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/details.aspx?id=1515&rbl=1&txtbillnumber=hb490

Under the New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law, documents shared with the Lyme Study Committee members must be made public.

The following list of documents have been posted to the Committee Website.

The first two letters below are extremely disturbing and should be shared widely:

1. Dr. Richard Shulik’s 2010 testimony for House Bill 1326 (passed as HB 295)
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/Dr.%20Richard%20Shulik’s%202010%20testimony%20for%20House%20Bill%201326%20(passed%20as%20HB%20295).msg.pdf

Ten years ago, Dr. Richard Shulik (Clinical psychologist) reported on the experiences of Lyme patients from his practice in Londonderry and the difficulties obtaining treatment. Dr. Shulik’s comment: “To say the least, these are nightmarish experiences which I would not wish upon anyone.”

2. Registered Complaint to the NH Dept of Health
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/Registered%20Complaint.pdf

I sent this registered letter to Dr. Jose Montero, past Director of the NH Department of Health in 2010 and coordinated an onsite meeting which included Dr. Lynn Durand, currently a member of our study commission. The letter identifies five cases where a negative Elisa led to patient harm. These cases were summarized by a Lyme treating clinician here in New Hampshire.

3. LYME DISEASE BILL BECOMES LAW
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/LYME%20DISEASE%20BILL%20BECOMES%20LAW.pdf

House Bill 295 (Passed in 2011) protects physicians’ rights to determine the most appropriate treatment protocol for their patients..

4. 10 Things you Should Know About New IDSA Guidelines
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/10%20Things%20you%20Should%20Know%20About%20New%20IDSA%20Guidelines.pdf

A reposting of the article from Lorraine Johnson, CEO of lymedisease.org

5. Letter Regarding Testimony Submitted
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/Letter%20Regarding%20Testimony%20Submitted.pdf

Notice of my letter to the editor of the BMJ published June 2020 (Evidence of persistent infection after extensive antibiotic treatment)

6. NH DHHS Health Alert
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/NH%20DHHS%20Health%20Alert.pdf

DHHS is instructing the physician not to run the Western blot after a negative Elisa. So how do we rule out a false negative Elisa?????

7. Galaxy Diagnostics Launches the Most Sensitive Test Available for Direct Detection of Lyme Disease
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/Galaxy%20Diagnostics%20Launches%20the%20Most%20Sensitive%20Test%20Available%20for%20Direct%20Detection%20of%20Lyme%20Disease.pdf

“Galaxy validation data (unpublished) shows that the Nanotrap® Urine Test will often confirm active infection in patients with negative TTT (Two-Tiered Testing) results.”

8. Written Public Comment
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/Written%20Public%20Comment.pdf

Patient testimony across America is describing an experience that doesn’t resemble anything that our public health officials are telling us about Lyme disease. The truth about this life-altering/life-threatening infection remains well hidden from the public through an elaborate racketeering scheme now on trial in Texas District Court.

9. TBDWG Meeting Nov 17 9am Online
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/TBDWG%20Meeting%20Nov%2017%209am%20Online.pdf

Written public comment directed to Dr. David Walker, Co-Chair of the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group. During the July 8th meeting he was recorded saying that persistent infection is a “religious belief.”

10. TBDWG October 27, 2020 – Written Public Comment
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/TBDWG%20October%2027,%202020%20-%20Written%20Public%20Comment.pdf

The CDC’s refusal to acknowledge persistent infection has left hundreds of thousands (if not millions worldwide) in a debilitated state as the disease has been misclassified decades ago as a low-risk and non-urgent health threat. (Hard to catch and easily treated) Failure to recognize this pathogen as an antibiotic resistant/tolerant superbug leaves everyone in our state of New Hampshire vulnerable to its incapacitating outcome.

11. HB490 included a section on available treatment protocols
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/HB490%20included%20a%20section%20on%20available%20treatment%20protocols.pdf

Indirect serologic testing as you know is looking for elevated antibodies to the pathogen in question. Since humans do not produce antibodies against Borrelia (the causative agent of Lyme disease) for 4-6 weeks after a tick bite, relying on antibody production misses early detection. Antibody tests cannot be used to gauge treatment failure or success.

12. Tuttle directs pointed questions to TBD Working Group member Shapiro
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/Tuttle%20directs%20pointed%20questions%20to%20TBD%20Working%20Group%20member%20Shapiro.pdf

Carl Tuttle, a long-time Lyme activist from New Hampshire, gave the following remarks by telephone to the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group on Sept. 15.

13. House Bill 363 and the NH DHHS
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/House%20Bill%20363%20and%20the%20NH%20DHHS.pdf

In 2015 House Bill 363 required the NH DHHS to include a link to the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society on its Internet website. Although the DOH adhered to those requirements, they do not have any references to ILADS in their official Health Alert going out to our medical community.

14. New Hampshire State House Hearing of 01.28.2010
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/New%20Hampshire%20State%20House%20Hearing%20of%2001.28.2010.pdf

Dr. Shulik’s testimony followed by a letter to the Editor-in-Chief of The New England Journal of Medicine. What we have here is collusion to deny a chronic disease; a disease that has spiraled out of control into a 21st century plague. The medical establishment has been led to believe that “chronic Lyme” is a fictitious disease and hundreds of thousands perhaps millions of patients around the globe are left untreated/undertreated and suffering.

15. limitations of serological diagnostic tests Rep Woods letter Oct 2020
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/limitations%20of%20serological%20diagnostic%20tests%20Rep%20Woods%20letter%20Oct%202020.pdf

The letter calls attention to a partial list of studies identifying treatment failure through direct detection methods with some of these references dating back thirty years.

16. 2010 Letter Jose T. Montero, MD, Director
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/2010%20Letter%20Jose%20T.%20Montero,%20MD,%20Director.pdf

Official registered complaint filed with the NH Dept of Health. Here we are ten years later!

17. Antibiotic treatment duration for Lyme disease
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/Antibiotic%20treatment%20duration%20for%20Lyme%20disease.msg.pdf

“…longer treatment durations were associated with better treatment response—with most high responders and well patients reporting treatment durations of four or more months and many reported durations exceeding a year. As the chart below reveals, those treated for less than a month were unlikely to report improvement.”

18. DDD CT, antibiotics-Oct 2020, 09-00725
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/DDD%20CT,%20antibiotics-Oct%202020,%2009-00725.pdf

Efficacy of Double‐Dose Dapsone Combination Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Lyme Disease/Post‐Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS) and Associated Co‐infections: A Report of Three Cases and Retrospective Chart Review

19. 2009 Letter to Quest Diagnostics
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/2009%20Letter%20to%20Quest%20Diagnostics.pdf

Could you please tell me why Quest Labs’ Western blot Lyme test doesn’t include band 31 and 34? Is it possible that your exclusion of these bands is missing many Lyme cases since band 31 and 34 are highly specific to Borrelia burgdorferi and were originally chosen for vaccine development?

20. EvidenceofPersistence-V2
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/EvidenceofPersistence-V2.pdf

The following is a list of over 700 peer reviewed articles that support the evidence of persistence of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. It is organized into different categories—general, psychiatric, dementia, autism and congenital transmission.

21. Treatment Delays and the Increase Risk of Persistent Illness in Lyme Disease
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/Treatment%20Delays%20and%20the%20Increase%20Riskof%20Persistent%20Illness%20in%20Lyme%20Disease.pdf

From the Johns Hopkins study:

“One-third of Lyme disease patients report delayed treatment of greater than 30 days”

Carl Tuttle’s comment: Humans do not produce antibodies to Lyme disease for 4-6 weeks after a tick bite so serology has always been the wrong diagnostic tool.

22. The Staggering Cost of Lyme Disease and Other Tick-Borne Illnesses
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/1515/documents/The%20Staggering%20Cost%20of%20Lyme%20Disease%20and%20Other%20Tick-Borne%20Illnesses.pdf

From the IgeneX survey:

Lyme disease has been detected in all 50 states. The high cost of Tick-Borne Disease misdiagnosis.

According to the survey:

· 45% of patients needed more than three years to obtain the proper diagnosis

· 65% of patients were forced to quit a job or cut back on their hours due to their symptoms

· 24% of patients saw more than ten doctors before receiving a proper diagnosis

· 86% of patients suffer from long-term side effects from not having been diagnosed sooner

_______________________

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/09/25/why-should-we-care-about-lyme-disease-a-colorful-tale-of-government-conflicts-of-interest-probable-bioweaponization-and-pathogen-complexity/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/04/26/cdc-playbook-learning-from-lyme/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/07/30/how-the-cdc-uses-their-own-guidelines-to-rig-the-system/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/03/17/nice-lyme-guidelines-human-rights-of-lyme-patients/

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Testing

Stealth Infections & Their Detection

Dr.-Schwarzbach-Stealth-Infections-and-their-Detection (1)  pdf here

iu-105

Armin Schwarzbach PhD

Medical doctor and Specialist for Laboratory Medicine

Augsburg, Germany

AONM Annual Conference London, November 19th 2017

______________________

**Comment**

Excellent presentation on the following stealth pathogens:

  • Mycoplasma
  • Bartonella
  • Babesia
  • Ehrlichia/Anaplasma
  • Chlamydia pneumoniae
  • Yersinia
  • Coxsackie viruses (B1, A7, A16) and many others 
  • Borrelia burgdorferi , in all its forms

While Dr. Schwarzbach wants to blame “ecosystem disruption” for the mess we are in, I think it more likely to be due to laboratory experimentation/manipulation (bioweaponization), dropping ticks from airplanes, and migratory birds and animals transporting ticks far and wide:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/09/25/why-should-we-care-about-lyme-disease-a-colorful-tale-of-government-conflicts-of-interest-probable-bioweaponization-and-pathogen-complexity/

Category:

Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, Mycoplasma, Testing, Viruses

Alpha-gal Syndrome – Symptoms, Diagnosis, & Treatment

https://www.lymedisease.org/alpha-gal-syndrome/

Alpha-gal Syndrome – Symptoms, Diagnosis, & Treatment

There is growing evidence that certain types of tick bites can trigger alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) a life-threatening allergy to red meat and meat-related products.

In some individuals, it appears tick bites can result in the sensitization to a carbohydrate known as galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, or “alpha-gal” for short. This sugar molecule is found in most mammals you might be likely to eat, but not in fish or fowl.

Most recognized food allergies, such as to peanuts or shellfish, will prompt an immediate reaction after being consumed. That’s not the case with AGS, however, which can take up to eight hours (or even more) after exposure to produce a reaction.

Note: exposure to alpha-gal via inhalation, injected drugs or vaccines can cause an immediate reaction.

Alpha-gal syndrome - meats that contain alpha-gal

Examples of commonly consumed mammalian meats that contain alpha-gal include beef, pork, lamb, goat, venison and buffalo. Common foods that are derived from mammals include lard, milk, cream, ice cream, and cheese—although the majority of AGS patients do tolerate dairy products.

Personal products that use ingredients containing “hydrolyzed protein” (gelatin), lanolin, glycerin, collagen, or tallow are particularly problematic.

Additional products that can bring on an alpha-gal reaction are jello, gelatin capsules, certain medications, pig or cow heart valves, surgical mesh, certain vaccines and unlabeled “natural flavorings” in foods.

Some people with AGS also react to carrageenan, a common food additive made from red algae, which also contains alpha-gal. (So even being strictly vegan won’t necessarily protect you from AGS reactions.)

How are ticks involved in alpha-gal syndrome?

Alpha-gal meat allergy has been reported all over the world including Asia, Australia, Central America, Europe, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the United States.

The tick species most often associated with Alpha-gal syndrome is the lone star tick

In the U.S., the tick species most often associated with AGS is the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) found throughout the South, East and parts of the Midwest. Recent research suggests that the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus) may also be implicated in alpha-gal syndrome.

The Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis), the primary trigger of AGS in Asia, has shown up in the US recently, but has yet to be implicated in AGS here. The Cayenne tick (Amblyomma cajennese) found in southern Texas and Florida has also been linked to AGS in Central America, but not yet in the U.S.

While no known pathogen has been linked to triggering AGS, more research is needed to understand the mechanism and the role that ticks play. Currently the thought is that the tick saliva plays a role in activating the allergy to alpha-gal.

Who’s at risk for AGS?

Alpha-gal syndrome is a much more common allergy in the U.S. today than it was a decade ago, with the number of laboratory-confirmed cases growing from 12 in 2009 to over 34,000 in 2019. Unfortunately, AGS has no insurance billing code (ICD code), nor is it a reportable illness to the CDC.

Experts agree alpha-gal syndrome is under-reported in geographic areas where tick bites are common.

Alpha-gal syndrome Lone Star Tick in the United States

Surveillance for IgE to alpha-gal. Percent positive rates are presented for IgE to alpha-gal within each of six regions in the United States, 2012-2013 (7300 samples). Diagonal white lines on the map represent the known geographic distribution of the lone star tick (Data and map, Viracor-IBT Laboratories; Tick Distribution, CDC).

For now, the biggest risk factor for AGS appears to be repeated bites by ticks that contain alpha-gal in their saliva and salivary glands. It is not understood why, but not everyone who is bitten by a tick containing alpha-gal will develop AGS.

While both children and adults can acquire AGS, most cases have been reported in adults.

Certainly, if a patient with recent tick exposure presents with sudden onset anaphylaxis and recurrent gastrointestinal symptoms, AGS should be considered.

Alpha-gal syndrome is a much more common allergy in the U.S. today than it was a decade ago, with the number of laboratory-confirmed cases growing from 12 in 2009 to over 34,000 in 2019.

What are the symptoms of alpha-gal syndrome?

The symptoms of alpha-gal syndrome are often delayed, making it much harder to pinpoint the trigger. Someone may wake up at 3 o’clock in the morning in the throes of serious allergic reaction, and have no idea it was brought on by a hamburger they ate the night before.

Symptoms can range from itching and stomach upset to breathing difficulty and full anaphylaxis. AGS reactions often start with itching of the palms of hands and soles of feet.

Common symptoms of AGS include:

  • 90% have skin symptoms: itching “pruritus,” flushing “erythema,” hives “urticaria” (swollen, pale red bumps or “wheals” on the skin), angioedema (swelling in deep layers below the skin)
  • 60% develop anaphylaxis (a potentially deadly reaction that can restrict breathing)
  • 60% have gastrointestinal symptoms (abdominal pain, diarrhea, acid reflux, cramping, vomiting)
  • 30-40% experience cardiac symptoms: rapid decrease in blood pressure (hypotension, POTS); palpitations (atypical chest symptoms)
  • 30-40% experience respiratory symptoms (wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath)
  • 20% of patients will have GI symptoms alone (may present like irritable bowel syndrome)
  • 3-5% develop mast cell activation syndrome
  • arthritis (rare)
  • mouth swelling, sores (rare)

How is AGS diagnosed?

If you experience symptoms after eating mammalian meat products, immediately notify your primary care physician or allergist. Unlike most tick-borne pathogens, the onset of AGS usually takes at least 4-6 weeks from the time of the tick bite. Complicating things further, about a third of patients do not recall a tick bite.

Your doctor should be able to determine if you have AGS based upon your clinical symptoms and a positive blood test: immunoglobulin E (IgE) to the oligosaccharide glactose-alpha-1,3 galactose (alpha-gal.)

In the U.S., Viracor is the main laboratory for AGS testing. The Viracor “specific IgE galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose” test can be taken at most commercial laboratories like Labcorp and Quest and shipped to Viracor.

Warning: The test for alpha-gal is often mistaken for “alpha-galactosidase” or “a-galactosidase A deficiency”—note these are the wrong tests! Because the test is so new, it is recommended to take the proper testing codes with you to the doctor and the laboratory. Click here to download and print a PDF on the proper testing codes for alpha-gal syndrome.

How is Alpha-gal syndrome treated?

There are currently no U.S. FDA-approved medications for the treatment of AGS. As with most allergies, the mainstay of management is avoidance of the allergen. Therefore, the best practice is to avoid exposure to:

  1. Mammalian meats
  2. Personal products containing mammalian derivatives
  3. Medical products containing mammalian proteins, derivatives or parts
  4. Medications containing mammalian proteins or derivatives

Knowing you must avoid mammalian products is only half the battle, as these products have worked their way into nearly every level of our modern life.

For instance, gelatin is the main ingredient of jellybeans, candy corn, marshmallows, puddings and the capsules of many medications. Chicken and turkey sausages may be stuffed in pork casings, lard (rendered pork fat) is found in many pre-made gravies, sauces, soups, candies, chips, fries, and more.

As with all serious allergies, it is important to have the proper diagnosis and be prepared with how to respond in the event of an emergency. Most allergists will recommend wearing a medical alert bracelet and carrying an EpiPen and an antihistamine with you at all times.

Avoiding alpha-gal hidden components

Mammalian proteins and parts can be found in many medications and medical products. . Because the source of many ingredients is not listed on product labels, your pharmacist may need to contact the manufacturer. Have your pharmacist ask specifically if it contains galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, alpha-gal, mammalian meat, or any animal by-products.

Common sources of alpha-gal include:

  1. heart valve replacement derived from pig or cow,
  2. monoclonal antibodies (cetuximab)
  3. vaccines (zostavax, MMR and some flu),
  4. pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy,
  5. thyroid hormone replacement,
  6. fillers in medications (magnesium stearate, stearic acid, lactic acid, glycerin, gelatin, lactose)
  7. antivenom,
  8. protein powders,
  9. vaginal capsules
  10. heparin

Alpha-gal & co-infections

Ticks that carry alpha-gal are known to carry many other pathogens that can be simultaneously transmitted to humans. It is possible to acquire any of these other tick transmitted diseases and also have alpha-gal syndrome. It is also possible to have AGS alone.

Ticks that carry alpha-gal are known to carry many other pathogens

The lone star tick, the primary source of AGS in the U.S., is known to transmit the following diseases:

  • human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis (HME)
  • ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia ewingii, and Panola Mountain ehrlichia)
  • Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF)
  • tularemia (Francisella tularensis)
  • Heartland virus
  • Bourbon virus
  • Q fever
  • tick paralysis
  • STARI, an illness similar to Lyme disease, caused Borrelia lonestari
With alpha-gal recently discovered in blacklegged ticks, we may also begin to see an increase in AGS in patients with Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, relapsing fever borreliosis, Powassan virus disease, and other diseases transmitted by these ticks.

How to prevent alpha-gal syndrome

For now, the best way to avoid getting AGS is to avoid tick bites. This means wearing tick repellent when working, hiking or playing in grassy or wooded areas where ticks are found. Protecting your pets and doing thorough tick checks after being outdoors is helpful.

If you are bitten by a tick, we suggest following these eight steps.

What to do if you have alpha-gal syndrome?

Learning you have an allergy to all mammalian products can be overwhelming. Because this is such a newly discovered condition there are few resources available.

When it comes to making medical decisions, it’s important to have a knowledgeable provider who understands the risks versus benefits of certain medications and procedures. Vaccines that contain gelatin are one of the riskier products, but if you need a rabies shot, for instance, your doctor may determine the benefits outweigh the risks and take the necessary steps to mitigate the adverse effects.

To learn more about the history, symptoms and how to diagnose alpha-gal syndrome listen to this interview with Dr. Scott Commins, of the University of North Carolina.

Additional help can be found at:

References:

  1. CDC | Alpha-gal allergy
  2. HHS | Alpha-Gal Syndrome Subcommittee Report to the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group
  3. Commins SP, Satinover SM, Hosen J, Mozena J, Borish L, Lewis BD, Woodfolk JA, Platts-Mills TA. (2009) Delayed anaphylaxis, angioedema, or urticaria after consumption of red meat in patients with IgE antibodies specific for galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose. J. Allergy and Clin Immunol 123(2):426-33. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2008.10.052.
  4. Commins, S. P., James, H. R., Kelly, L. A., Pochan, S. L., Workman, L. J., Perzanowski, M. S., Kocan, K. M., Fahy, J. V., Nganga, L. W., Ronmark, E., Cooper, P. J., & Platts-Mills, T. A. (2011). The relevance of tick bites to the production of IgE antibodies to the mammalian oligosaccharide galactose-α-1,3-galactose. J. Allergy and Clin Immunol, 127(5), 1286–93.e6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2011.02.019
  5. Commins SP (2020) Diagnosis & management of alpha-gal syndrome: lessons from 2,500 patients, Expert Review of Clinical Immunology, 16:7, 667-677, DOI: 10.1080/1744666X.2020.1782745
  6. Fiocchi A, Restani P, Riva E, Qualizza R, Bruni P, Restelli AR, Galli CL. (1995)  Meat allergy: I–Specific IgE to BSA and OSA in atopic, beef sensitive children. J Am Coll Nutr. 14(3):239-44. doi: 10.1080/07315724.1995.10718502. PMID: 8586772.
  7. Hamsten C, Tran TAT, Starkhammar M, Brauner A, Commins SP, Platts-Mills TAE, van Hage M. (2013) Red meat allergy in Sweden: association with tick sensitization and B-negative blood groups. J. Allergy and Clin Immunol. 132(6):1431-1434. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2013.07.050. Epub 2013 Oct 4. PMID: 24094548; PMCID: PMC4036066.
  8. Kuehn BM. (2018) Tick Bite Linked to Red Meat Allergy. JAMA. 23;319(4):332. doi: 10.1001/jama.2017.20802. PMID: 29362779.
  9. Mullins RJ, James H, Platts-Mills TA, Commins S.(2012) Relationship between red meat allergy and sensitization to gelatin and galactose-α-1,3-galactose. J. Allergy and Clin Immunol. 129(5):1334-1342.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2012.02.038. Epub 2012 Apr 3. PMID: 22480538; PMCID: PMC3340561.
  10. Platts-Mills, TAE, Schuyler, AJ,Commins,SP, et. al ( 2018) Characterizing the Geographic Distribution of the Alpha-gal Syndrome: Relevance to Lone Star Ticks (Amblyomma americanum) and Rickettsia. J. Allergy and Clinical Immun 141;2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2017.12.470
  11. Wilson JM, Schuyler AJ, Workman L, Gupta M, James HR, Posthumus J, McGowan EC, Commins SP, Platts-Mills TAE.  (2019) Investigation into the α-Gal Syndrome: Characteristics of 261 Children and Adults Reporting Red Meat Allergy. J. Allergy and Clin Immunol Pract. 7(7):2348-2358.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2019.03.031.

Category:

Alpha Gal Meat Allergy, Testing, Ticks, Treatment