Residents are warned to protect themselves against tick bites after the recent detection of an extremely rare disease causing a potentially serious allergic reaction.
Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) causes a patient to develop an allergy to meat and meat products after being bitten by a paralysis tick.
It is incredibly rare but can lead to potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis – a severe allergic reaction.
Cases have been detected along the east coast of Australia for several years and research from a Cairns doctor has shown a rapid increase in the number of cases in the Far North region.
Dr Elias Bitzer said in the past five years there had been 14 confirmed cases of AGS, compared with three cases in the 10 years prior.
He said much of this was due to increasing awareness among clinicians about the disease and there were likely many more undiagnosed cases in the region.
‘There are studies showing up to 40% of doctors aren’t even aware of AGS, so it is important for them to learn how to recognise it,’ he said.
‘The difficulty with diagnosing it is that often the allergic reaction may not come until several hours after the person has consumed the meat, which makes it harder to determine the cause as people don’t associate the food with their symptoms.
‘The most common symptoms we have seen are abdominal pain and a rash, with some people also suffering shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and hives.’
Dr Bitzer presented his research at the recent Cairns Hospital Research and Innovation Symposium and mapped the known cases in the region.
He said most were identified in the Cairns and Tableland areas, but there had been cases from 300km north and 600km west of Cairns.
Cairns Hospital clinical immunologist and allergist Dr Peter Bourke said AGS was first identified in Sydney but is well documented in the United States.
He said his team was doing increased education with local GPs which is likely why more cases have been confirmed in Far North Queensland.
‘The highest risk factor for AGS is multiple tick bites so it is important people wear protective clothing when they are in bushland and other areas where ticks are commonly found,’ he said.
‘Proper tick removal is also something people need to be aware, to ensure it is entirely removed from the skin.
Dr Bourke said a person was diagnosed with AGS after their symptoms and case are reviewed by a specialist and they undergo a specific allergy test.