Unique insect turns people into vegetarians
Just one bite of this strange insect, the "victim" will instantly turn into a vegetarian.
Killer insects in nature
Discovered the world's heaviest insect
If you want to be vegetarian but have a hard time avoiding your favorite meat dishes, give this weird insect a bite - you'll be a vegetarian in no time.
It is a tick called the lonely star tick (Lone Star tick) because it has a strange mark right on its back.
When bitten by humans, the lone star tick can cause a nasty disorder called Alpha-gal Syndrome (AGS), which causes the victim to have a red meat allergy.
Anaphylaxis in AGS is not caused by meat but by the sugar molecule galactose-α-1,3-galactose or alpha-gal, found in certain foods, mainly red meat, in addition to milk and gelatin.
Alpha-gal is restricted to mammals, which means not all meats are allergenic because alpha-gal is not found in fish, birds, and reptiles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). CDC).
If bitten by a lone star tick and have AGS, symptoms can appear about two hours after eating the inappropriate food. Symptoms include cough, nausea, vomiting, rash, shortness of breath, and low blood pressure. The severity of AGS varies from patient to patient. They may experience only mild symptoms or struggle with dangerous symptoms such as anaphylaxis. The degree of reaction varies but in severe cases the patient may not be able to breathe and feel like they are burning every time they eat meat.
The mechanism of allergy is thought to involve tick saliva, which contains proteins with the molecule alpha-gal. Their presence leads to IgE antibody hypersensitivity to sugar, causing later exposure to alpha-gal to cause an allergic reaction. An increase in certain B cells is also associated with an excessive immune response to alpha-gal. Just one bite from a lone star tick can cause a lifelong red meat allergy.
Originally, this Lone Star beetle lived only in the southern United States, parasitizing white-tailed deer. However, when deer were introduced to many places, the ticks also began to expand their habitat. So it's not too difficult for you to come in contact with one of these unique insects
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