The sudden death of 16-year-old Jeremy Webb during a camping trip in New South Wales has taken a turn, with a coronial inquest now exploring a disturbing new theory.
Webb was enjoying a camping trip with three friends at MacMasters Beach in June 2022 when he ate beef sausages cooked over a campfire.
By 11PM, the outgoing teen was struggling to breathe and collapsed while trying to reach an adult for help.
Despite his friends’ desperate attempts to perform CPR, he was pronounced dead an hour and a half later at Gosford Hospital.
His initial cause of death was recorded as asthma. But now, evidence suggests something much more unexpected may have been at play.
Could red meat have triggered his fatal reaction?
A posthumous diagnosis revealed Jeremy had mammalian meat allergy (MMA), a potentially deadly condition that can cause anaphylaxis after eating red meat.
The allergy is triggered by previous tick bites, something Jeremy’s mother, Tanya Webb, said was a common occurrence during his childhood spent camping in bushland on the Central Coast.
“When I first suspected mammalian meat allergy, I did look into it, but there wasn’t much information back then,” she said, per ABC. “I sort of saw it as a food intolerance, not an allergy that can kill you from anaphylaxis.”
If the inquest confirms MMA played a role in Jeremy’s death, it could mark the first known fatality of its kind in Australia, according to Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia.
Webb hopes that answers from the inquest will help save lives. “I think Jeremy would be so proud of this inquest about his death,” she said. “If it saves one more life, then that’s a win, a huge win.”
Tick bites can trigger a mammalian meat allergy, which can manifest as stomach discomfort, nausea, vomiting, hives or swelling, or escalate to anaphylaxis. Credit: rbkomar / Getty
A hidden allergy that can escalate quickly
Mammalian meat allergy can cause a range of symptoms from vomiting and hives to severe anaphylactic reactions.
The allergy typically kicks in two to 10 hours after eating red meat, though allergy expert Associate Professor Sheryl van Nunen told the inquest the reaction can be delayed for up to five hours before hitting fast and hard.
“When it starts, it evolves rapidly,” she said, cited by Daily Mail. “So people go from zero to 100.”
According to the New York Post, Van Nunen testified that there has been a 40 percent year-on-year increase in MMA diagnoses in Australia since 2020.
NSW and Queensland now have the highest rates, with Sydney’s Northern Beaches becoming a global hotspot.
She also warned that just two tick bites can be enough to sensitize someone to red meat and trigger the allergy. Prevention, she said, is key.
Warnings and prevention tips from experts
The inquest is also examining whether Jeremy’s death could have been prevented through earlier detection or more effective medical care.
So far, it has reviewed the medical treatment he received, the role of anaphylaxis, and the events leading up to his collapse.
The Australian organization Tick-Induced Allergies Research and Awareness (TIARA) advises bushgoers to take tick prevention seriously. Their recommendations include wearing long-sleeved shirts tucked into full-length pants with socks pulled over the top.
And if someone is bitten by a tick, TIARA says never to remove it using tweezers or gadgets, which can squeeze the tick and release more saliva into the body. Instead, use a freezing spray and wait for the tick to drop off, or seek medical help.
NSW Deputy State Coroner Carmel Forbes is expected to deliver her findings by the end of the year.