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Committee moves bill to make alpha‑gal syndrome a reportable condition in Tennessee
Summary
House Bill 383, which would add alpha‑gal syndrome to the state list of reportable diseases, was advanced unanimously; sponsor and witnesses said better surveillance is needed to measure prevalence and guide prevention.
The House Health Subcommittee voted unanimously on Feb. 12 to advance House Bill 383, which would add alpha‑gal syndrome to Tennessee's list of reportable diseases, requiring health care providers to report diagnosed cases to the Department of Health under existing administrative rules.
Sponsor Representative Butler told the committee that alpha‑gal, a condition triggered by the bite of the lone star tick, appears concentrated in rural areas of Tennessee and that current surveillance is insufficient to measure its true prevalence. Butler cited clinic and military recruit data during testimony and urged the committee to enable state surveillance.
"Due to the current lack of surveillance, the true prevalence of alpha gal syndrome is largely unknown," Butler said. He told members that one Tennessee clinic found alpha‑gal to be the leading cause of anaphylaxis among adults and adolescents in its caseload, accounting for about one‑third of cases.
Testimony to the committee included a personal statement from Jody Zork of Morgan County, who said she was diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic after multiple emergency room visits and that she knows several people in her community with the condition. "I believe there's a lot more out there," Zork said.
Butler provided prevalence estimates discussed in testimony: serologic studies of military recruits indicate about 10 percent of Tennessee residents may be sensitized to alpha‑gal, and from that the sponsor estimated that 0.5 percent to 1 percent of the population may have alpha‑gal syndrome — a range the sponsor translated to roughly 35,000 to 70,000 people in Tennessee.
Madam Clerk recorded the subcommittee vote as nine ayes and zero noes; House Bill 383 will go to the Health Committee next week.
If enacted, the condition would be added to the Department of Health's published list of reportable diseases and conditions and health care providers would be required to report cases pursuant to existing reporting rules. The bill's sponsor and witnesses emphasized surveillance and prevention; they did not request new state funding during the hearing.
Votes at a glance: House Bill 383 — Passed subcommittee 9–0; outcome: advanced to full Health Committee.
