Well, this isn't fun to hear about.
The Lone Star tick has been discovered to pass on a disease called alpha-gal, which according to CDC.org "is an allergy to the alpha-gal sugar molecule. Allergic reactions typically occur after people eat meat from mammals that have alpha-gal or are exposed to products made from mammals" and allergist Dr. Joey Lane of Lynchburg, VA revealed to WJLA that "5,000 patients in the world who have it and we believe that about 10 percent, 500 or more, are here in the central Virginia area."
The tick ranges from western Texas all the way to the southeastern portion of Maine and if you contract the alpha-gal virus, symptoms such as rash, difficulty breathing, nausea and more tend to develop three to six hours after you consume meat.
To learn more about this tick & virus, click here.