Dukes County health officials want to know what Vineyarders think about alpha-gal syndrome, and whether they’d like to take part in a university’s study of the allergy.
The survey also comes as the county and the University of North Carolina are exploring a partnership to launch a multi-year study of alpha-gal syndrome in hunters.
Hunters’ time in wooded areas makes them more likely to come across the lone star tick that spreads the allergy.
The survey comes as the allergy to the carbohydrate alpha-gal, found in mammalian meat, is becoming more common on-Island and nationwide. It can cause mild reactions in people, or life-threatening ones such as anaphylaxis.
The anonymous Martha’s Vineyard Tick Program’s Alpha-Gal Survey, meant to take 10 to 15 minutes, asks Vineyarders about their awareness of and any experiences with alpha-gal sensitivity.
Patrick Roden-Reynolds, head of the Martha’s Vineyard Tick-borne Illness Reduction Initiative (also known as the MV Tick Program), told The Times on Tuesday that the study comes from a need to engage with the community about alpha-gal.
“We’ve developed this study because alpha-gal is hitting the community hard. A lot of folks we’ve talked to have it, are scared of it, or are aware of it,” he said.
“The survey is kind of the initial stage; gauging the interest of Island residents and visitors if they’d be interested in being involved in a more prolonged alpha-gal research study,” he added.
According to Roden-Reynolds, county health officials have reached out to allergist-immunologist Dr. Scott Commins of the University of North Carolina about organizing a wider survey.
Commins is known as an authority on alpha-gal syndrome, and he was part of the research team that discovered the link between tick bites and the allergy.
The survey also asks hunters what sort of compensation would make them interested in participating in a study. Options include monetary compensation, an annual group dinner at a Vineyard farm, free tick bite prevention items.
The study, according to the recent survey, would ask hunters about their tick bites and any symptoms of illness or allergy, and would include a twice-per-year blood test for alpha-gal antibodies.
Tick program head and wildlife biologist Patrick Roden-Reynolds looks forward to Vineyarders’ responses, he told The Times on Tuesday. “I encourage people to take the survey, whether they have experience with hunting or with alpha-gal or not. I feel like these surveys will be very helpful for gauging community interest and awareness in these types of research studies,” he said.
