Kansas college professor hospitalized after bizarre chain reaction leaves him allergic to BBQ food, first case of its kind

A university professor has suffered a near-fatal allergic reaction to barbecue meat, in what appears to be one of the first such cases.

Brian McCornack, a professor at the University of Kansas, went into anaphylactic shock and was rushed to the emergency room hours after eating a steak cooked on an outdoor grill.

The devastating complication occurs when the body releases a flood of chemicals in response to an allergen, in this case a compound found in red meat.

Blood pressure drops suddenly and the airways narrow, making it difficult for people to breathe. The disease can be fatal in just 30 minutes.

Professor McCornack was shocked to learn that his reaction was due to an allergy, as he had no problems with food in the past.

Through his work as an entomologist, the study of insects, he believes he has traced his complication back to a strange source: a tick.

Professor McCornack began experiencing digestive upset in August 2023, about a month before he was hospitalized, but it was only during a conference that he linked his new allergy to the ticks he had found on him a few weeks earlier.

He told local Kansas station KSN: “I didn’t know what it was until a seminar (I) started putting a lot of the pieces together.

His unexplained allergy was the result of a disease contracted from ticks, called Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS).

A tick’s saliva can contain a sugar molecule called a-Gal and when ticks bite, its saliva can enter the bloodstream, which puts the immune system into overdrive when someone eats red meat like beef, pork or lamb, or animal products like cheese.

It comes from the Lone Star tick, which is found primarily in the southeastern United States but is increasingly being detected in the northern, eastern and central parts of the country, according to the Mayo Clinic, as deer carry Lone Star ticks to new states.

Professor McCornack believes his case was caused by two ticks he found on himself after walking his dogs. He discovered a small engorged Lone Star tick and another adult Lone Star tick.

However, he does not know exactly when he developed AGS.

The CDC said more than 110,000 suspected cases of AGS were identified in the United States between 2010 and 2022, but the number is likely higher because the disease is not required to be reported to the agency and many people may have it and not know it.

There is no cure or treatment for AGS other than avoiding red meat and other animal products.

Professor McCornack said he had to avoid meats, cheeses, ice cream and even some medications – although not all AGS patients have a reaction to every meat or animal product.

He said: “Meat products are in everything, there are also by-products, cheeses, etc. – I can’t eat ice cream without having a severe reaction.

“Meat products are present in pharmaceuticals. I had to work closely with a pharmacist to make sure that the pharmaceuticals did not cause anaphylactic shock. If it is genuine aspirin, they use synthetic agents, if it is generic, they use animal-derived agents.”

The reaction comes from the sugars in the products, not the products themselves.

About two hours after eating the steak, Professor McCornack begins to develop itching and shortness of breath. If he eats too much, his airways will begin to close and he could go into shock.

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The professor said: “There’s a two-hour delay after you eat, so you eat red meat, it breaks down… gets into your bloodstream and your immune system basically reacts… the immune system says this is a foreign body.”

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) said last month that several diseases transmitted by Lone Star ticks have been detected.

The Lone Star tick is the most abundant in the state, widely distributed across the eastern two-thirds.

Experts described them as “aggressive human biters” and said tick-borne diseases “are extremely active this year.”

Lone star ticks vary in size and are usually identifiable by a white dot on their back.

Professor McCornack warned: “(Ticks) are everywhere in our environment. It’s important to be aware of them, detect them early and check for ticks.”

“You have to check everywhere. Once they are attached, there is a chance.”