Clinician Training and Resources

Earn free continuing education

The interactive web-based training module, Understanding and Managing AGS for Healthcare Providers, is designed to increase knowledge of alpha-gal syndrome and help clinicians more rapidly diagnose patients.

• Free continuing education (CE) is awarded when requested.

• No fees are charged for CDC’s CE activities.

• Details about course objectives, faculty, accreditation, disclosures, instructions for obtaining CE, and fees follow.

Objectives

1. Describe the epidemiology of alpha-gal syndrome.
2. Identify clinical characteristics of alpha-gal syndrome.
3. Describe appropriate diagnostic testing for alpha-gal syndrome.
4. Promote appropriate management of alpha-gal syndrome.
5. Explain tick bite prevention.
6. Discuss the interdisciplinary collaboration relevant to alpha-gal syndrome, including healthcare teams and public health.

Instructions for obtaining CE

To receive continuing education (CE) for WB4954, Understanding and Managing Alpha-gal Syndrome for Healthcare Providers, please visit CDC TRAIN and search for the course in the Course Catalog using WB4954. Follow the steps below by July 8, 2027.

1. Register for and complete the course.
2. Pass the post-assessment at 78%.
3. Complete the evaluation.
4. Visit Your Learning to access your certificates and transcript.

Accreditation statements

AAPA: Continuing Medical Education (CME) for PA:

In support of improving patient care, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 1.5 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. Approval is valid until 07/08/2027. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

AAVSB: Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE):

This program was reviewed and approved by the AAVSB RACE program for 1.25 hours of continuing education.

Participants should be aware that some boards have limitations on the number of hours accepted in certain categories and/or restrictions on certain methods of delivery of continuing education. Please contact the AAVSB RACE program if you have any comments/concerns regarding this program's validity or relevancy to the veterinary profession.

ACCME: Continuing Medical Education (CME):

In support of improving patient care, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designates this Enduring Material activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

ACPE: Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE):

In support of improving patient care, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designated this event for pharmacists to receive 0.15 CEUs in pharmacy education. The Universal Activity Number is JA4008229-0000-25-044-H01-P.

ANCC: Continuing Nursing Education (CNE):

In support of improving patient care, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designates this activity for 1.5 nursing contact hours.

IACET: Continuing Education Units (CEU):

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is authorized by IACET to offer 0.1 CEU's for this program.

NBPHE: Certified Public Health (CPH):

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a pre-approved provider of Certified in Public Health (CPH) recertification credits and is authorized to offer 2.0 CPH recertification credits for this program.

NCHEC: Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES):

Continuing Education Contact Hours for Certified Health Education (CHES)

Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES®) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES®) to receive up to 1.5 total Category I continuing education contact hours. Maximum advanced level continuing education contact hours available are 1.5. Continuing Competency credits available are 1.5. CDC provider number 98614.

NCHEC: Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES):

Continuing Education Contact Hours for Certified Health Education (MCHES)

Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES®) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES®) to receive up to 1.5 total Category I continuing education contact hours. Maximum advanced level continuing education contact hours available are 1.5. Continuing Competency credits available are 1.5. CDC provider number 98614.

Disclosure

In compliance with continuing education requirements, all planners and presenters must disclose all financial relationships, in any amount, with ineligible companies during the previous 24 months as well as any use of unlabeled product(s) or product(s) under investigational use.

CDC, our planners, and content experts wish to disclose they have no financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, reselling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

Content will not include any discussion of the unlabeled use of a product or a product under investigational use.

CDC did not accept financial or in-kind support from ineligible companies for this continuing education activity.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, or sex. To learn more visit: https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/nondiscrimination/index.html.

For assistance with CDC CE courses, please e-mail train@cdc.gov.

Fees

No fees are charged for CDC’s CE activities.

Research publications

Geographic distribution

Thompson JM, Carpenter A, Kersh GJ, Wachs T, Commins SP, Salzer JS. Geographic distribution of suspected alpha-gal syndrome cases—United States, January 2017–December 2022. MMWR. 2023;72(30):815-820.

Clinical resources

Binder AM, Commins SP, Altrich ML, Wachs T, Biggerstaff BJ, Beard CB, Petersen LR, Kersh GJ, Armstrong PA. Diagnostic testing for galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, United States, 2010 to 2018.Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2021;126(4):411-416.e1.

Chung CH, Mirakhur B, Chan E, Le QT, Berlin J, Morse M, et al. Cetuximab-induced anaphylaxis and IgE specific for galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose. N Engl J Med. 2008;358(11):1109–17.

Commins SP. Diagnosis and management of alpha-gal syndrome: lessons from 2,500 patients. Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 2020;16(7):667-677.

Commins SP, Satinover SM, Hosen J, Mozena J, Barish L, Lewis BD, et al. Delayed anaphylaxis, angioedema, or urticaria after consumption of red meat in patients with IgE antibodies specific for galactose-α-1,3-galactose. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009;123(2):426-433.e2.

Hilger C, Fischer J, Wölbing F, Biedermann T. Role and mechanism of galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose in the elicitation of delayed anaphylactic reactions to red meat. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2019;19(1):3.

Kim MS, Straesser MD, Keshavarz B, Workman L, McGowan MC, Platts-Mills TAE, et al. IgE to galactose-α-1,3-galactose wanes over time in patients who avoid tick bites. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2020;8(1):364-367.e2.

Mabelane T, Basera W, Botha M, Thomas HF, Ramjith J, Levin ME. Predictive values of alpha-gal IgE levels and alpha-gal IgE: Total IgE ratio and oral food challenge-proven meat allergy in a population with a high prevalence of reported red meat allergy – PubMed (nih.gov). Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2018;29(8):841–9.

Platts-Mills TAE, Li R, Keshavarz B, Smith AR, Wilson JM. Diagnosis and management of patients with the α-gal syndrome. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2020;8(1):15-23.e1.

Taylor M, Kersh G, Salzer J, Jones ES, Binder AM, Armstrong PA, et al. Intrinsic risk factors for alpha-gal syndrome in a case-control study, 2019 to 2020. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2024 S1081-1206(24):74-7.

Wilson JM, Schuyler AJ, Workman L, Gupta M, James HR, Posthumus J, et al. Investigation into the α-gal syndrome: characteristics of 261 children and adults reporting red meat allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2019;7(7):2348-2358.e4.

Healthcare provider knowledge

Carpenter A, Drexler NA, McCormick DW, Thompson JM, Kersh G, Commins SP, Salzer JS. Health care provider knowledge regarding alpha-gal syndrome—United States, March–May 2022. MMWR. 2023;72(30):809-814.

Tick bites and alpha-gal syndrome

Commins SP, James HR, Kelly LA, Pochan SL, Workman LJ, Perzanowski MS, et al. The relevance of tick bites to the production of IgE antibodies to the mammalian oligosaccharide galactose-α-1,3-galactose. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011;127(5):1286-1293.e6.

Commins SP, Jerath MR, Cox K, Erickson LD, Platts-Mills T. Delayed anaphylaxis to alpha-gal, an oligosaccharide in mammalian meat. Allergol Int. 2016;65(1):16–20.

Crispell G, Commins SP, Archer-Hartman SA, Choudhary S, Dharmarajan G, Azadi P. Discovery of alpha-gal-containing antigens in North American tick species believed to induce red meat allergy. Front Immunol. 2019;10:1056.

Hashizume H, Fujiyama T, Umayahara T, Kageyama R, Walls AF, Satoh T. Repeated Amblyomma testudinarium tick bites are associated with increased galactose-α-1,3-galactose carbohydrate IgE antibody levels: A retrospective cohort study in a single institution. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2018;78(6):1135-1141.e3.

Kersh GJ, Salzer J, Jones E, et al. Tick bite as a risk factor for alpha-gal-specific immunoglobulin E antibodies and development of alpha-gal syndrome. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2022;130(4):472-478.

Mitchell CL, Lin F-C, Vaughn M, Apperson CS, Meshnick SR, Commins SP. Association between lone star tick bites and increased alpha-gal sensitization: evidence from a prospective cohort of outdoor workers. Parasites Vectors. 2020;13(1):470.

Young I, Prematunge C, Pussegoda K, Corrin T, Waddell L. Tick exposures and alpha-gal syndrome: A systematic review of the evidence. Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2021;12(3):101674.