ROANOKE, Va. – Like many of us, Linda Wilson loves to eat meat.
“I'm a carnivore,” Wilson said.
But since getting bitten by a tick in 2015, the meat lover developed a meat allergy and can no longer eat hamburgers, pork chops and bacon.
Dr. Saju Eapen, who specializes in asthma and allergies, said the symptoms are varied.
“People are bitten all the time. They can get many different problems with tick bites, like lime disease, or develop an allergy to red meats. You can get simple symptoms, such as hives and itching, but it can also lead to severe allergies and even death,” Eapen said.
He said you can also get bitten and not realize it.
“If you start noticing itching or hives a few minutes or a few hours after eating red meat, then it's time to seek help,” Eapen said.
Manager Eric Day, of the Entomology Department at Virginia Tech, said not all tick bites lead to an allergy.
“It depends on what species of tick and how long it's attached,” Day said.
If you're planning to hit the lake or the river, here are a few tips:
- Avoid tick-infested areas such as tall grass
- Walk in the center of trails and avoid brushing against weeds
- Keep grass and underbrush cut and thin
If you develop a meat allergy as a result of a tick bite, Wilson says there is some good news.
Since the tick bite, she has lost weight.
“I lost 87 pounds,” Wilson said.