PMID- 37498787
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20230731
LR  - 20230802
IS  - 1545-861X (Electronic)
IS  - 0149-2195 (Print)
IS  - 0149-2195 (Linking)
VI  - 72
IP  - 30
DP  - 2023 Jul 28
TI  - Geographic Distribution of Suspected Alpha-gal Syndrome Cases - United States, 
      January 2017-December 2022.
PG  - 815-820
LID - 10.15585/mmwr.mm7230a2 [doi]
AB  - Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is an emerging, tick bite-associated allergic condition 
      characterized by a potentially life-threatening immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated 
      hypersensitivity to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal), an oligosaccharide 
      found in most nonprimate mammalian meat and products derived from these mammals. 
      Specific symptoms and severity of AGS vary among persons, and no treatment or 
      cure is currently available. During 2010-2018, more than 34,000 suspected cases 
      of AGS were identified in the United States, but current knowledge of where cases 
      occur is limited. This study examined alpha-gal-specific IgE (sIgE) antibody 
      testing results submitted to the commercial laboratory responsible for nearly all 
      testing in the United States before 2022 to assess the geographic distribution 
      and magnitude of this emerging condition. During January 1, 2017-December 31, 
      2022, a total of 357,119 tests were submitted from residences in the United 
      States, corresponding to 295,400 persons. Overall, 90,018 (30.5%) persons 
      received a positive test result in the study period, and the number of persons 
      with positive test results increased from 13,371 in 2017 to 18,885 in 2021. Among 
      233,521 persons for whom geographic data were available, suspected cases 
      predominantly occurred in counties within the southern, midwestern, and 
      mid-Atlantic U.S. Census Bureau regions. These data highlight the evolving 
      emergence of AGS and can be used to help state and local health agencies initiate 
      surveillance and target public health outreach and health care provider education 
      to high-risk localities.
FAU - Thompson, Julie M
AU  - Thompson JM
FAU - Carpenter, Ann
AU  - Carpenter A
FAU - Kersh, Gilbert J
AU  - Kersh GJ
FAU - Wachs, Tyler
AU  - Wachs T
FAU - Commins, Scott P
AU  - Commins SP
FAU - Salzer, Johanna S
AU  - Salzer JS
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20230728
PL  - United States
TA  - MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
JT  - MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report
JID - 7802429
RN  - X2RN3Q8DNE (Galactose)
RN  - 37341-29-0 (Immunoglobulin E)
RN  - red meat allergy
SB  - IM
MH  - Animals
MH  - Humans
MH  - United States/epidemiology
MH  - Galactose
MH  - *Food Hypersensitivity
MH  - *Tick Bites/epidemiology
MH  - Immunoglobulin E
MH  - Mammals
PMC - PMC10390090
COIS- All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical 
      Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. Scott P. 
      Commins reports institutional support from the National Institute of Allergy and 
      Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health; royalties from UpToDate, 
      Inc.; payment or honoraria from Genentech for participation in educational events 
      and from Regeneron for participation in an advisory meeting; and an unpaid 
      position as president-elect of the Southeastern Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology 
      Society. No other potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.
EDAT- 2023/07/27 19:10
MHDA- 2023/07/31 06:43
PMCR- 2023/07/28
CRDT- 2023/07/27 13:02
PHST- 2023/07/31 06:43 [medline]
PHST- 2023/07/27 19:10 [pubmed]
PHST- 2023/07/27 13:02 [entrez]
PHST- 2023/07/28 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - mm7230a2 [pii]
AID - 10.15585/mmwr.mm7230a2 [doi]
PST - epublish
SO  - MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023 Jul 28;72(30):815-820. doi: 
      10.15585/mmwr.mm7230a2.