Jeremy Webb: Teen dies from tick-induced red meat allergy alpha-gal syndrome in first fatal case in Australia
Jeremy Webb died shortly after eating a sausage during a camping trip in 2022, finally his cause of death has been revealed.
A NSW teenager has been confirmed as the first Australian to die from a tick-induced red meat allergy, after what was initially believed to be a fatal asthma attack.
Jeremy Webb was just 16 when he suffered breathing difficulties after eating beef sausages during a camping trip at MacMasters Beach in June 2022.
Friends attempted to help him before he was rushed to hospital, where he later died.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.At the time, his death was attributed to asthma. But NSW Deputy State Coroner Carmel Forbes has now ruled the teen experienced an anaphylactic reaction to mammalian meat, which in turn triggered the asthma attack that killed him.
“Without the anaphylaxis, the asthma would not have caused his death,” Magistrate Forbes told the court on Thursday.
The finding follows a coronial inquest sought by Jeremy’s parents, Myfanwy and Johnathan Webb, who hoped a formal investigation would clarify the cause of their son’s death and draw attention to the little-known allergy.
During the inquest last November, clinical immunologist and allergist Sheryl van Nunen posthumously diagnosed Jeremy with mammalian meat allergy, commonly known as alpha-gal syndrome. The court was told that Jeremy had been bitten by ticks numerous times as a child while camping in bushland on the NSW Central Coast.
Ms Webb told the ABC last year that her son had been bitten by ticks “from the age of two” while camping in bushland on the Central Coast.
Alpha-gal syndrome is a potentially life-threatening allergy linked to tick bites. It can cause reactions to red meats including beef, pork and lamb, as well as gelatine and animal fats.
“When I first suspected mammalian meat allergy, I did look into it, but there wasn’t much information back then,” she said. “I sort of saw it as a food intolerance, not an allergy that can kill you from anaphylaxis.”
Some sufferers also react to meats such as kangaroo, dolphin and guinea pig. Unlike most food allergies, symptoms are often delayed, appearing between two and 10 hours after consumption. Reactions can range from stomach pain and vomiting to severe anaphylaxis.
Outside court, Ms Webb said the inquest had finally provided answers for the family and would help build awareness about the condition.
She told the ABC that Thursday’s findings would make him “so, so proud”.
“During his life, Jeremy made a positive impact on the lives of his friends, family and also strangers,” Ms Webb said.
“Jeremy continues to make a positive impact [by] saving lives into the future. He made a difference when he was alive and now he’s still continuing to make a difference when he’s passed, which is really incredible.”
Mr Webb said greater public understanding of alpha-gal syndrome was now crucial.
“If these changes in public education can help prevent other patients from dying from alpha-gal, then that’s all we want,” he said.
“I don’t want any other parents to have to go through it. It’s something you live with for the rest of your life. It’s tough.”
Medical experts told the inquest a previous hospital presentation had been a “missed opportunity” to recognise the potentially fatal risks linked to the allergy.
Magistrate Forbes recommended Jeremy’s case be used as a clinical case study by the Central Coast Local Health District.
Professor van Nunen said Jeremy’s death is the first recorded fatal case of mammalian meat allergy in Australia and only the second documented worldwide.
