Laura Hardecke knew something wasn’t right. Debilitating fatigue and flu-like symptoms were becoming everyday occurrences. Some days she could barely get off the couch. After rounds of bloodwork, doctors confirmed a tick-borne illness – Lyme Disease.
Fast-forward a year and Hardecke found herself fighting through severe gastrointestinal pain and cramping. Over time, she noticed the attacks happening about 3 to 6 hours after she had her favorite food – sausage burgers.
“I ate them all the time, and the attacks were repetitive enough that eventually I knew I couldn’t ignore it any longer,” she explains. “I went to a doctor and had some more tests done.”
When the doctors finally delivered a diagnosis of Alpha-Gal Syndrome, Hardecke’s world turned upside down. How could someone whose roots and livelihood were closely tied to livestock production suddenly be allergic to the very meat she raised her entire life?
An Invisible Threat Turned Her Life Upside Down
Growing up on her family farm in Owensville, Mo., surrounded by pastures, cattle and pigs, Hardecke’s lifelong passions were all things agriculture and outdoors. She grew up spending most of her day out in nature or on the farm caring for her 4-H show pigs and steers.
After she graduated from high school, she attended college in Branson and later went to work for Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer in Washington, DC. She eventually returned to rural Missouri where she now coordinates the Black Vulture Permit Program for Missouri Farm Bureau.
How did she get alpha-gal and Lyme Disease? Hardecke says she will never know. It could have happened hundreds of different ways.
“I live in the country, I’m outside all the time,” she says. “Somewhere along the way, I was unfortunate to be bit by two different ticks over a period of two years that carried two different diseases.”
Alpha-gal is a molecule found in most mammals, such as cows and pigs, and in the saliva of some ticks. When a tick bites, it can transfer alpha-gal from its saliva into a person’s blood. For some people, the immune system responds and produces alpha-gal–specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies. These antibodies can cause an allergic reaction the next time the person is exposed to alpha-gal by eating foods that carry it, like red meat.
Yes, Alpha-Gal Syndrome is a Real Thing
When she was diagnosed with alpha-gal, there was a lot of confusion about what it was. In the beginning, she felt like she had to “be tough” and just deal with the “bellyache.” People didn’t take her seriously because no one knew about the disease.
“It’s hard to understand if you haven’t gone through it, but alpha-gal has definitely had a major effect on my daily life,” Hardecke says. “I’m still learning how to live with it.”
The number of cases of alpha-gal continue to rise. One report estimated it affected up to 450,000 people in 2022, but the true number is thought to be much higher now because it is not a nationally notifiable condition. According to a recent study in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, in the five states with high rates of alpha-gal (Arkansas, Missouri, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee), nearly one in four adults test positive for antibodies associated with the condition.
Together, these five states had an estimated seroprevalence of 24.0%—a rate that far exceeds the 450,000 U.S. adults estimated to have alpha-gal (0.14% of the population), reports the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy.
In Missouri, a bill (HB 2372) addressing Lyme Disease and alpha-gal was signed into law over the summer by Governor Mike Kehoe. Hardecke is hopeful this bill will bring more awareness to Lyme Disease and will require reporting of alpha-gal.
“I don’t think we need huge government control over it, but I also see a need for figuring out how we can help people who have it,” she says. “We don’t want to have regulations on everything, but we also need to figure out some answers and that starts with more awareness. It’s not a made-up issue.”
Setbacks and Specialized Treatments
Alpha-gal is treated primarily through strict avoidance of foods – typically red meat or meat-based ingredients – that cause your reaction, explains the Mayo Clinic. For a mild allergic reaction, an allergy medicine might help. For a more intense reaction, people may require a shot of epinephrine and emergency care.
Hardecke begrudgingly removed beef and pork from her diet and figured she would live with it forever. Then she heard about an acupuncture treatment, the Soliman Auricular Allergy Treatment (SAAT) with Dr. Samantha Anderson in Salem, Mo., that helped some people with alpha-gal return to eating meat.
“Having grown up on a farm, the last thing I wanted to do was not eat beef or pork again,” Hardecke says. “So, I decided to try this treatment in July 2025. Basically, the doctor inserted tiny, nearly painless needles just under the skin in my right ear, sealed with glue/skin-toned bandages, and left for 3–4 weeks across multiple cycles.”
The treatment worked at first, and she began to eat beef again. However, in January 2026, she had a right hip replacement surgery and has not been able to tolerate beef or pork since her surgery.
“The doctors said it’s similar to an autoimmune disease where it can go into remission and then if some type of trauma happens to the body (like surgery), it can be awakened,” Hardecke says. “When I tried to eat red meat after my surgery, I started having issues again. I felt like I couldn’t really swallow the meat – not necessarily that my throat was closing. It was a different reaction, along with stomach pains.”
She opted to try the acupuncture treatment again in the spring of 2026, but it didn’t work this time.
“I know it can work,” she says. “I hope it’s just a matter of finding the prime time for my body to accept this treatment.”
While mainstream medicine currently recognizes strict avoidance as the only proven management strategy, Hardecke explored complementary approaches to navigate the symptoms. Some of those options include medication regimen with tick-borne illness doctor, homeopathic remedies, Ivermectin regimen, a clean-eating diet, IV infusions to support her body and functional medicine doctors who she believes seem to acknowledge tick-borne illnesses more than conventional medicine doctors.
“I hope there will be a treatment that will help someday,” she says. “There are so many folks with it now. It gives me a little hope that at some point we’ll be able to eat beef and pork again.”
Living with Alpha-Gal
Until that time comes, she continues to battle the symptoms that come with alpha-gal and Lyme Disease. Not being able to eat red meat isn’t the only challenge she faces. Other symptoms include a lack of energy, extreme fatigue, stomach pains, terrible gastrointestinal issues, migraines, headaches, lingering flu-like symptoms and an aversion to dairy products.
“I eat at home more now because eating out can be challenging,” she says. “For example, let’s say I choose to order chicken at a restaurant. Most restaurants cook more than one meat on their grills. Whatever is on their grill can cause an allergic reaction.”
In addition to food products, she has had to switch from gelatin-coated medication or supplement capsules to vegan capsules. She also watches out for other mammalian byproducts, dairy, lard, tallow and carrageenan.
Fighting Fear With Facts
Dispelling fear-mongering rumors with grounded, personal facts is important to Hardecke who believes ticks demand awareness, not paranoia.
“It is concerning how many people are coming down with alpha-gal, just in our little community here in Missouri,” she says. “I know it incites fear on some levels now that there is more discussion and awareness about it.”
Hardecke emphasizes that livestock are not to blame. People do not contract alpha-gal from eating beef or pork, but from a Lone Star tick bite that injects a foreign sugar molecule into human blood, she explains.
Researchers and public health professionals do not know the long-term impact of alpha-gal on the livestock industry, says Dr. Heather Fowler, director of producer and public health for the National Pork Board.
“There is research in progress, funded by the Pork Checkoff and Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, to better understand gaps and connection to the allergy of red meat or exposure to products containing alpha-gal,” Fowler says.
Hope for Answers
Refusing to let tick-borne disease steal her love for the outdoors or working around the cattle, Hardecke continues to do what she loves. She’s even taken on a new passion for growing pumpkins.
“We don’t want to live our lives covered in insect repellent 24/7 or be terrified to walk into our pastures,” she says. “We just need awareness, real answers and treatments that work.”
Encouraging others with alpha-gal and engaging with others about this disease motivates Hardecke every day.
“There’s power in sharing stories about alpha-gal to remove stigma and offer tangible hope for recovery,” she says. “Not every treatment will work for every person, but knowing there’s options out there helps. Alpha-gal is a real thing, but we don’t have to live in fear.”
Fast Facts: Alpha-Gal Syndrome Vs. Lyme Disease
Vector: Lone Star tick (Amblyomma americanum).
The Science: The bite introduces the sugar molecule galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal) into the human bloodstream. Humans don’t naturally produce this sugar, leading the immune system to produce antibodies against it.
Delayed Reaction: Unlike traditional food allergies that trigger immediately, alpha-gal symptoms usually appear 3 to 6 hours after consuming mammalian products (beef, pork, lamb, venison, dairy, gelatin).
Common Symptoms: Severe GI cramping, hives, nausea, shortness of breath, migraines, flu-like aches and potential anaphylaxis.
How Do I Prevent Alpha-Gal Syndrome?
The best way to protect yourself and your family from Alpha-gal Syndrome is to prevent tick bites.
Before you go outdoors:
- Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin. Follow all product instructions.
- Avoid contact with ticks. Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass.
- Use EPA-registered insect repellent. Follow all product instructions.
After you come indoors:
- Examine clothing and pets for ticks.
- Shower and perform a thorough tick check.
- If you find a tick, remove it as soon as possible and thoroughly clean the bite area with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
Pathogen: Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete transmitted primarily by the blacklegged tick (deer tick).
Transmission Window: Typically requires 24–48 hours of tick attachment
The “Autoimmune” Behavior: Bacteria can spread to joints and nervous systems. While early antibiotic treatment is key, underlying trauma, stress or secondary infections can re-trigger chronic fatigue, joint pain and brain fog.
Read More:
Researchers Close in on Alpha-Gal Syndrome Meat Allergy Mystery Linked to Ticks
Pig Transplant Research Yields Surprise for Some People Allergic to Red Meat
Tick Safety Guide: Preventing Alpha-Gal Syndrome and Lyme Disease
Small Pests, Big Problems: Protect Your Farm from Summer’s Hidden Threats
