More than 50 Missourians gathered at the state capital Tuesday for the first Alpha-Gal Syndrome Advocacy Day to connect and learn more about a bill which would make the reporting of the condition mandatory.
Alpha-gal is a tickborne allergy to mammalian products, such as red meat and dairy, and can cause severe reactions, even death. But it is hard to know how common the condition is, as there is no standard reporting across the country.
Republican Representative Matthew Overcast (R-Ava) is trying to remedy this lack of information by proposing a bill, HB 1855, that would make alpha-gal syndrome and Lyme disease mandatorily reportable to the state
“We talk about how it's prolific south of I-44 and northern Arkansas, but to see so many people across the state show up, once again, it just goes to show that this is a systemic issue across the entire state that the entire state cares about, and so the lawmakers should be paying close attention,” Overcast said.
This is the second year that Overcast has introduced a bill regarding the reporting of alpha-gal syndrome. He said there are some differences between the two bills — first, the conditions are now labeled as “noncommunicable diseases” to ensure there is no confusion with communicable diseases, such as flu, measles and sexually-transmitted infections.
Additionally, Overcast said he left the language about the method of counting and confirming cases “a little bit ambiguous on purpose,” so Missouri Department of Health & Human Services officials — who would oversee the reporting if the bill is passed — could determine the best way for their staff to complete the task.
“I didn't make that super specific. I want them to look at what other states are doing,” Overcast said. “In Virginia, they're seeing that 90% of the cases that they follow up on are actual positive cases. So, I'm really leaving that to the medical professionals to decide how — if they want to follow up on every case, or just apply a different sampling method.”
Overcast said he has not yet met with DHSS to discuss the bill, but he hopes to in the coming weeks.
Columbia-based nurse Caitlin Wollenberg was diagnosed with alpha-gal in November 2024 after living with symptoms for a decade. She said it was important for her to attend the advocacy day because she wants to bring attention to the need for more understanding of the condition — especially within the medical community.
“Doctors and nurses are supposed to be lifelong learners, like, hat's a huge piece of going into this field is knowing that things are going to change. We are constantly researching disease processes, how they affect the body, what treatment options we have. This is no different,” Wollenberg said.
She said, often, people around her do not realize that alpha-gal syndrome doesn’t just impact what a person can and cannot eat — instead impacting a wide range of interactions, from what skin care people can safely use to the clothes they can wear.
“There's not an industry that this doesn't affect,” Wollenberg said. “It really does, truly affect every aspect of life,and so, the more data we can collect to present why this is a big deal, the better.
Julie Marshall drove down to the capital from St. Louis. She was diagnosed with alpha-gal about five years ago, and said it is important for those with the condition to know they are not alone.
Marshall is the admin for the “Alpha-Gal St. Louis” Facebook group, which has more than 800 members.
She said the group recently began meeting in-person at a local library branch, and it has shown her just how common the allergy is in Missouri.
“It feels supportive. It feels like I'm not alone. When I first got diagnosed, I was like, ‘I didn't have anybody, I didn't have anybody to talk to.’ I didn't know what it was or even how to learn about it,” Marshall said.
Tina Balser, who lives on a farm outside Columbia with her husband Nick, was diagnosed with alpha-gal just months ago — in July 2025 — after taking a trip to Branson with her daughter’s Girl Scout troop.
“We were actually not doing anything in the woods, as you would assume most Girl Scouts would do," Balser said. "We were actually touring museums and going to Branson and going to Bass Pro in Springfield and just having some really fun experiences that our girls wanted to do."
Balser said not long after this trip she had a significant anaphylactic reaction after eating a steak dinner for her anniversary.
She said she came to the event to listen and learn from others with alpha-gal, as well as to find out what she can do to move the proposed legislation forward.
“I was so excited to come here and then just sitting at a table and meeting people from across the state was so impactful. I feel like I've gone through the hill of emotions today of ‘Wow, this is so empowering. Oh, wow, this is so overwhelming. Oh, wow, we have so much more work to do, right?” Balser said. And so, it was very empowering to be in that room… knowing what we are all aiming toward and advocating for.”
Overcast said he is currently working on securing more co-sponsors for the bill. He expects to hold more alpha-gal legislative advocacy days as the session continues.
The bill does not yet have a committee hearing scheduled.
