Lone Star Tick

In Kansas City, singles looking for love have a new way to find possible matches: live, in-person and with an audience. Can a local reimagining of “The Dating Game” lead to love in a loveless city? Plus: A disease caused by ticks is on the rise in Missouri, meaning more people are looking for alpha-gal safe ways to eat out.

Cases of alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy caused by tick bites, in Missouri means more people are looking for a mammal-free way to eat out. Some restaurants in the southern part of the state are adapting their menus for patrons.

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Often when Missourians receive an alpha-gal syndrome diagnosis, they don't know where to start — beyond simply not eating red meat. Some people in southern Missouri are trying to help people adapt to their new diets.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 450,000 people in the US have alpha-gal syndrome — a tickborne allergy to red meat — while many others have never heard of the condition at all.

Alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to red meat and other mammal products as a result of bites from the lone star tick, is on the rise in Missouri and Kansas. Public health experts say more research, and funding, is needed to better address the issue.

It’s tick season — and they're a problem all throughout Missouri, not just in rural areas. And there's a real risk of tick-borne illnesses like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease.

A recent study by University of Missouri researchers found ticks are active eight months out of the year, from early spring through late fall. The extended season mean more ticks spread potentially fatal diseases.