Alpha-gal syndrome is spreading rapidly. Arkansas may hold clues to what comes next.

By: Elizabeth Cline

Outlets: Tennessee Lookout

Published: September 2, 2026

Words: 4,640

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 5 days ago

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Standing under an eastern hemlock tree near a thicket of lizard’s tail in her backyard — a tick’s dream — Casey Hamaker had flashbacks to the day she first contracted alpha-gal syndrome, a mysterious illness spreading rapidly across the United States.

“This is the scene of the crime,” she said. As she was clearing brush in her garden in the spring of 2024, three ticks — likely lone stars, the aggressive hunters known …

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