Alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy triggered by lone-star tick bites, is surging in New York, particularly on Long Island, yet the state lags in tracking cases. While Arkansas, Kentucky, and Missouri mandate reporting of positive blood tests, New York’s Health Department has taken minimal action, citing no clear reason. A CDC study revealed Suffolk County, home to eastern Long Island, may have 3,800 to 18,000 alpha-gal cases between 2010 and 2022—up to 1.2% of the population.

Sharon Forsyth, executive director of the Alpha-gal Alliance Action Fund, called the state’s inaction “completely outrageous,” urging real-time data collection to map the syndrome’s spread.