Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is an emerging, tick bite–associated immunoglobulin E–mediated allergic condition characterized by a reaction to the oligosaccharide galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal), which is found in mammalian meat and products derived from mammals, including milk, other dairy products, and some pharmaceutical products. Symptoms range from mild (e.g., a rash or gastrointestinal upset) to severe (anaphylaxis); onset typically occurs ≥2 hours after exposure to alpha-gal. No treatment or cure is currently available. Despite the potential life-threating reactions associated with AGS, most patients perceive that health care providers (HCPs) have little or no knowledge of AGS. A U.S. web-based survey of 1,500 HCPs revealed limited knowledge of AGS, identified areas for continuing medical education, and described self-reported diagnostic and management practices. Overall, 42% of surveyed HCPs had never heard of AGS, and among those who had, fewer than one third knew how to diagnose the condition. Two thirds of respondents indicated that guidelines for the diagnosis and management of AGS would be useful clinical resources. Limited awareness and knowledge of AGS among HCPs likely contributes to underdiagnosis of this condition and inadequate patient management, and underestimates of the number of AGS patients in the United States, which currently relies on laboratory testing data alone.
Introduction
Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is an emerging, tick bite–associated, immunoglobulin E (IgE)–mediated allergic condition characterized by a reaction to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal), a sugar molecule found in most nonprimate mammals. Evidence suggests that the reaction is primarily associated with the bite of the lone star tick (Ambylomma americanum) in the United States. Cases are most prevalent in the southern, midwestern, and mid-Atlantic United States, overlapping the range of the lone star tick.[1–3] No treatment or cure is currently available. Despite the potential life-threatening reactions associated with AGS, patients perceive that health care providers (HCPs) have little or no knowledge of AGS.[4] Data from a nationwide, web-based survey of HCPs in the United States (DocStyles, Spring 2022), administered by Porter Novelli Public Services, were analyzed to determine HCP knowledge relating to the diagnosis and management of AGS.
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2023;72(30):809-814. © 2023 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
