A bite from this specific tick can make you allergic to red meat

It's a meat lover's worst nightmare.

With summertime coming up and grill parties just around the corner, New Englanders need to watch out for a specific kind of tick that's been slowly making it's way up to the East Coast.

The Lone Star tick, easily identifiable by the star on it's back, can do a lot of damage with just one bite.

“That is the Lone Star Tick and as far as I’m concerned that’s the worst condition you can get from the ticks," said Dr. Sam Telford, a Tuft University professor. "This is the tick that is the major pest species from Long Island over to NJ to Florida and over to Texas.”

The CDC map shows these little pests crawling all the way up to Maine, but Dr. Telford says there are not too many of them in Massachusetts...yet.

“Places like Cuttyhunk Island, the Elizabeth Islands, Martha’s Vineyard and places on the Cape," said Dr. Telford.

If bitten, the allergy is caused by a sugar called alpha-gal injected by the tick, the same sugar present in red meat causes the reaction.

“It’s an unusual allergy in that most food allergies you know right away you’ve eaten something you shouldn’t have and this one it could be six hours before you get the same signs of rash, hives or trouble breathing," said Dr. Telford.

Other symptoms include sneezing, headaches, asthma, stomach cramps and even vomiting and diarrhea.

The Lone Star tick has already invaded Long Island in New York.

“They marched across Long Island and within 10 years reached Shelter Island - now they’re the dominant tick species biting humans.”

The cases of meat allergy have skyrocketed there as well.

Keeping yourself safe is key to preventing any tick bite.

"Every year is a bad tick year, people need to take precautions every day," said Dr. Telford.

A spray-on repellent or tick repellent clothing are essentials to keeping you safe so you can enjoy that burger this summer.

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Cox Media Group