Lone Star Tick

The tickborne illness alpha-gal syndrome affects what you can eat. For those who contract it, mealtime becomes a minefield. Plus: American agriculture depends on foreign workers, but President Donald Trump’s immigration clampdown is shrinking a farm workforce that many say was already too small.

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.