Man Dies After Eating Beef in First Documented Fatal ‘Meat Allergy’ Case

FRIDAY, Nov. 14, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A rare tick-spread “meat allergy” has now been tied to its first confirmed death, according to researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine (UVA).

Doctors reported that a healthy 47-year-old New Jersey man died in 2024 after eating beef, with symptoms starting four hours after his meal.

The cause of death was unclear until UVA allergist Dr. Thomas Platts-Mills, who first discovered the condition, reviewed blood samples and confirmed the man had a severe reaction linked to alpha-gal syndrome, often dubbed “meat allergy.”