Jeremy Webb is the first person in Australia to die of a tick-induced, or alpha-gal, red meat allergy
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NEED TO KNOW
- A cause of death for an Australian teenager who died after eating sausages on a camping trip in 2022 has been confirmed
- NSW Deputy State Coroner Carmel Forbes ruled that Jeremy Webb, 16, died from an anaphylactic reaction to mammalian meat, which triggered an asthma attack
- The red meat allergy came from alpha-gal syndrome, a phenomenon caused by a tick bite, marking the first death of its kind in Australia
An Australian teenager died of a tick-induced red meat allergy on a camping trip after eating sausages.
Jeremy Webb, a 16-year-old from the Central Coast of Australia, died in 2022 after he suffered a severe asthma attack after eating beef sausages on a camping trip at MacMasters Beach, ABC Australia reported. His friends attempted to perform life-saving measures, but Webb later died at a nearby hospital.
His death was originally believed to have been caused by asthma; however, his parents, Myfanwy and Johnathan Webb, advocated for a new inquest into his death in November 2025, per the outlet.
On Thursday, Feb. 26, NSW Deputy State Coroner Carmel Forbes ruled that Jeremy died of "anaphylaxis due to mammalian meat allergy after tick bite, causing an acute exacerbation of asthma, which progressed to status asthmaticus," per court documents obtained by PEOPLE. "Jeremy’s fatal anaphylaxis occurred as a result of acute exacerbation of his asthma caused by a severe allergic reaction to mammalian meat."
"Without the anaphylaxis, the asthma would not have caused his death", Magistrate Forbes told the court on Thursday, per court documents. Clinical immunologist and allergist Sheryl van Nunen posthumously diagnosed Jeremy with mammalian meat allergy during the November inquiry.
Webb was allegedly bitten by ticks repeatedly while camping in the bushland area as a child, per the outlet, citing the inquest.
"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," Myfanwy told ABC after Thursday's ruling.
Webb has become the first Australian fatality of the tick-born red meat allergy, according to News.com.
The tick-induced meat allergy, known as alpha-gal syndrome, is a "life threatening" allergy to "red meat and other products that come from mammals," according to Mayo Clinic.
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In the U.S., bites from the Lone Star tick have been known to cause the allergy, according to Mayo Clinic. However, other types of ticks cause the condition in different parts of the world, mainly in parts of Europe, Australia, Asia, South Africa, and South and Central America.
"Alpha-gal syndrome causes mild to intense allergies to red meat, such as beef, pork or lamb. It also can cause reactions to other foods that come from mammals, such as dairy products or gelatin," per Mayo Clinic.
It is currently unknown what type of tick bit Webb.
PEOPLE has reached out to NSW Deputy State Coroner Carmel Forbes regarding the ruling.
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