Tick-Borne Meat Allergy Leaves Restaurants On Wealthy Island Scrambling

August 18, 2026 2:34 PM ET Restaurants on Martha’s Vineyard are adapting their menus to keep dining safe amid a rising number of alpha-gal syndrome cases — a tick-borne illness that causes a meat allergy.A total of 416 positive alpha-gal tests have been reported on Martha’s Vineyard as of June 2026, according to N Magazine. Martha’s Vineyard previously reported 742 positive alpha-gal tests in 2025, compared with only two positive cases in 2020. Alpha-gal syndrome can cause an allergy to meat from hoofed animals or to dairy, according to N Magazine and the Vineyard Gazette, respectively.Tick epidemiologist Lea Hamner said some people are unable to eat red meat, but can eat dairy products. Others can react to fumes from red meat or dairy, according to the Vineyard Gazette. People might even