A new theory is being examined in the death of 16-year-old Australian boy Jeremy Webb, who collapsed and died shortly after eating beef sausages during a camping trip on the New South Wales Central Coast in 2022. What was originally thought to be an asthma attack is now being reconsidered as a possible fatal allergic reaction linked to Mammalian Meat Allergy, a condition triggered by tick bites.
Jeremy had been camping with friends near MacMasters Beach when the group cooked beef sausages over a fire. Shortly before 11 p.m., he began experiencing breathing difficulties and collapsed while trying to reach a nearby caravan for help. His friends attempted CPR until emergency services arrived, but he was pronounced dead approximately ninety minutes later. Initial medical findings indicated asthma as the cause.
At a coronial inquest this week, allergy specialists stated that Jeremy’s symptoms were consistent with Mammalian Meat Allergy, commonly referred to as MMA, a condition increasingly recognised in eastern Australia. MMA can cause severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, after eating red meat products such as beef, pork or lamb. The allergy can develop after one or more bites from certain tick species, which introduce a carbohydrate known as alpha-gal into the body. Reactions can develop several hours after consuming red meat, making the condition difficult to identify.
Medical experts reviewing Jeremy’s case said his history included multiple tick bites while growing up in a bushland environment, as well as earlier episodes of vomiting and breathing difficulty following meals containing red meat. These symptoms were not previously linked to MMA. Doctors told the inquest that a delayed anaphylactic reaction to the sausages may have combined with Jeremy’s existing asthma, creating a fatal situation.