NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Doctors across the Southeast are trying to figure out why some people are developing a meat allergy after being bitten by a tick.
Often called the I-40 disease because it stretches from North Carolina to Arkansas, the illness begins with a bite from the Lone Star tick.
The tell-tale sign to look for in a Lone Star tick, is a tiny white dot on its back. People who are allergic to the Lone Star tick bite, begin to feel itchy.
Some people get a mild reaction when bitten, but it's a far different story for others.
The tick injects a substance called Alpha Gal into the blood stream, for some it could be the beginning of big medical problems.
Dr. Cosby Stone, specializes in allergy and immunology problems at Vanderbilt Medical Center, says he's treated hundreds of people with Alpha Gal, and he is seeing more cases every year.
"Patients who come to Vanderbilt are Tennessee natives who got the Alpha Gal in Tennessee," said Stone.
The Alpha Gal substance in your body makes you develop a severe allergy to meat. The first sign is hives.
"That can progress, depending on how much meat they ate, to having shortness of breath, low blood pressure, loss of consciousness called anaphylaxis, when you need to give yourself an epinephrine injection," Stone said.
Mary McNamara keeps her Epi-Pen close by her side. She's been living with Alpha Gal for years.
It took awhile for severe symptoms to develop, but when they did, they hit her like a brick wall.
"Oh my God, I feel so sick, my husband asked, 'what's wrong with you?', I'm just sick. Then I had anaphylaxis, blood pressure goes down to the bottom, go into shock," said McNamara.
Doctors are stumped because some people bitten by the Lone Star tick develop Alpha Gal and others don't.