Massachusetts Department of Public Health Takes Steps to Monitor and Track Alpha-gal Syndrome (AGS)

The tick bite-associated allergic condition is an emerging public health concern in Massachusetts

On March 19, 2026,  the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) announced proactive steps to monitor for and raise awareness of alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) by making cases reportable to the MDPH by healthcare providers and laboratories. AGS is a tick bite-associated allergic condition and an emerging public health concern in Massachusetts. 

Unlike familiar infectious diseases spread by black-legged ticks that are already reportable conditions, such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan virus, AGS is not an infectious disease; it is an allergic condition also known as the “red meat allergy.”  In some people, a bite from a lone star tick can trigger an allergic reaction to the alpha-gal molecule that is present in mammalian meat and dairy products. AGS can be a serious, even life-threatening allergic condition.

Because alpha-gal syndrome is an emerging condition in the state due to the northward expansion of lone star tick populations, MDPH Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD is declaring that AGS will be a reportable condition for one year beginning April 1, 2026, with the opportunity for a one-year extension.

“By making alpha-gal syndrome a reportable condition by healthcare providers and laboratories, DPH will have the ability to measure the impact of this disease on public health and raise awareness among healthcare providers to improve diagnosis and management,” said Commissioner Goldstein. “Using this data-driven approach, we also aim to educate residents so that they know how to take measures to protect themselves from tick bites.”

Learn more about MDPH’s new efforts to track AGS in the state’s press release, which also discusses Governor Healey to file legislation to update and expand hunting laws. 

Tick Bite Prevention Tips

To reduce the likelihood of getting AGS, MDPH recommends taking steps to reduce chances of being bitten by any tick. These tick prevention steps include:

• Check yourself for ticks once a day. Remember to check your children and pets, too. Checking is the single most important thing you can do! 
• Use tick repellents.
• Wear light-colored clothing to be able to see ticks more easily. When it’s not too hot outside, tuck shirts into pants and pants into socks to cover gaps in your clothing where ticks can get in.
• Don’t spend a lot of time in potentially tick-infested habitats such as tall grass and shrubs.
• Shower soon after being outdoors. Showering may help wash off unattached ticks and it is a good opportunity to do a tick check.