Prof Sheryl van Nunen raises awareness about mammalian meat allergy following NSW Coroner findings

Published

Tuesday, March 3, 2026 - 9:00 AM

National Allergy Centre of Excellence Insect Allergy Stream Co-chair Professor Sheryl van Nunen OAM has helped raise awareness about the risk of ticks following a NSW Coroner finding Jeremy Webb’s death in 2022 was caused by mammalian meat allergy.

The 16-year-old is the first person in the world known to have died from tick-induced meat allergy.

In findings handed down on Thursday 26 February, the deputy NSW state coroner Carmel Forbes said Jeremy died as a result of anaphylaxis due to mammalian meat allergy after tick bite, causing an acute exacerbation of asthma.

Professor van Nunen told the inquest in November last year that people had a 50 per cent chance of developing the allergy after being bitten by just two ticks.

In 2007, she was the first to identify the connection between tick bites and developing mammalian meat allergy – an association that has since been confirmed by researchers on all six continents where tick bites occur.

Last week, Prof van Nunen and NACE Insect Allergy Stream member Dr Alexander Gofton spoke to the media about why the allergy occurs, how it is diagnosed, ways it can be prevented and how to safely remove ticks.

• ABC News: Teenager Jeremy Webb died of meat allergy from tick bites, coroner finds
• ABC TV: What is mammalian meat allergy and what role do ticks play?
• ABC Radio PM: Teen died from tick bite meat allergy
• ABC News: Matt Jacobs has a tick-induced red-meat allergy. Four doctors didn't know what it was
• The Guardian: Australian teen first person in world known to have died of meat allergy triggered by tick bite
• The Guardian: Jeremy Webb died of a meat allergy triggered by a tick bite. How do you avoid ticks and safely remove them?
• Herald Sun: Central Coast teen becomes first Australian fatality from tick-induced red meat allergy
• The Medical Republic: How does tick bite cause a fatal meat allergy
• The Conversation: How can a tick bite cause a deadly meat allergy? An expert explains

For more information visit the Tick Anaphylaxis and Mammalian Meat Allergy Resources (Tiara) website.