Committee adds alpha‑gal syndrome to reportable diseases list after patient testimony

The committee approved a bill to add alpha‑gal syndrome — a red‑meat allergy caused by a lone star tick bite — to the Department of Health's published list of reportable diseases and conditions and sent it to the Senate calendar.

Sponsor Sen. Frank Yager described alpha‑gal as a serious allergy linked to the lone star tick found in Tennessee and said adding it to the Department of Health's list would improve surveillance and help secure federal funding. Jody Zorsch of Morgan County testified for about three minutes, saying she suffered undiagnosed symptoms for about a decade before receiving her diagnosis last year. Zorsch told the committee that alpha‑gal can trigger reactions to many everyday items with mammalian byproducts (red meat, medicines, paper products, laundry items) and that it is estimated to affect far more Tennesseans than other tickborne diseases tracked in state data.

Zorsch cited national estimates and Centers for Disease Control figures, saying the CDC estimates up to 450,000 Americans may have alpha‑gal syndrome and that the condition is concentrated in the Southeast. The sponsor and Zorsch argued that formal reporting would improve understanding of the syndrome's prevalence and support applications for federal assistance.

After the testimony the committee voted to send the bill to the Senate calendar. The roll call recorded nine ayes.