An Oklahoma bill that would add alpha-gal syndrome to the state's list of tick-borne illnesses is advancing, a move advocates say is needed to tackle a growing public health concern.
Most cases of alpha-gal syndrome start with a bite from lone star ticks, which are commonly found in Oklahoma. The bite can trigger a potentially life-threatening allergy that causes people to have an immune response to mammal products like red meat and dairy. Symptoms can vary from breathing problems to skin irritation and abdominal distress.
For farmers and ranchers who are in close contact with livestock every day, the allergy can be especially challenging. Some have decided to leave the industry altogether, forced to abandon a livelihood that served their families for generations.
Under Senate Bill 1644 by Sen. Brenda Stanley, R-Oklahoma City, laboratories and physicians would be required to report instances of alpha-gal syndrome to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. The state already requires notifications of positive blood tests for other tick-borne illnesses, such as Lyme disease, but no local or federal mechanism mandates tracking of alpha-gal cases.
The bill was sponsored by the Alpha-gal Alliance Action Fund, which advocates for increased reporting requirements in states where prevalence of the syndrome is high.
Sharon Forsyth founded the alliance after both she and her husband were diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome in 2019. At the time, documented cases were limited, but Forsyth was working a job in conservation and had learned about the tick-borne illness from a friend.
"My doctor had never even heard about it," she said.
Once considered a rarity, alpha-gal syndrome affects nearly half a million Americans, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cases are concentrated in the southern and eastern parts of the United States.
A 2024 study tested blood samples from a group of 3,000 military recruits and found those from Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri had the highest prevalence of alpha-gal antibodies. Between five and 10% percent of people with the antibodies have allergic reactions to animal products.
Forsyth said those high numbers lead her to suspect people in Oklahoma who have been told they have gastrointestinal issues are actually misdiagnosed.
"The number of people with alpha-gal syndrome has always been grossly underestimated," Forsyth said.
Without a good handle on the number of alpha-gal syndrome cases, Forsyth said it's impossible to propose lasting fixes. She also hopes that better state-level data can help increase research and investment at the national level.
Some state health authorities have been slow to create reporting requirements, but Forsyth said that doesn't seem to be the case in Oklahoma.
"I think there are enough people in Oklahoma with alpha-gal that a lot of folks in both the House and the Senate have family members, friends, neighbors who are affected," she said.
SB 1644 received unanimous support from members of the House's Public Health Committee Wednesday morning. If it passes, Oklahoma will join the dozen other states with mandatory reporting requirements for alpha-gal syndrome.
The measure would also position the state to receive federal funds and target the ecological drivers of the illness, like the proliferation of invasive plants favored by ticks.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
