You know, the whitetail deer that seem to be doing what bunnies do, but better. Most folks find them adorable. Let's fix that.
Those deer come with something you may not know about, or may know but don't care about: ticks. Now your mind may leap to lime disease. That's normal, because lime disease is a serious tick-borne disease which is associated with deer. But... There is something as bad, maybe worse, and spreading. This issue is primarily being spread by the Lone Star Tick, ironically named because of the white dot on the back. White tail...white dot.
These ticks brings alpha-gal to your, or possibly your child's bloodstream. So? Well, the human immune system, a wonderful thing, responds, sometimes gifting the person with Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS). You may have heard of it. One of the key issues with AGS, that gets a lot of press, is acquired allergy to red meat. You may think that is a big "so what," as we probably have too many folks eating too much red meat, but this is an immune reaction and there have been deaths. This is spreading across the country.
Some states track AGS. Georgia is not one of them because it is not a notifiable condition per state or federal law. The Georgia Department of Public Health does recognize AGS as an emerging tick-borne allergy but does not mandate reporting. High prevalence is reported in the Augusta area, unsurprising given the close proximity to South Carolina which hosts a whitetail deer population exceeding carrying capacity. See, all migration isn't wonderful, even if fleeing food insecurity.
Are those deer still cute as a button? Do you want your kids playing in a yard where they may have brought a few other visitors?
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