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.
Specialists emphasised that MMA remains under-diagnosed in Australia, despite a growing number of cases in New South Wales and Queensland. One expert testified that individuals can develop the allergy after as few as two tick bites, and that many patients fail to connect their symptoms to meat consumption due to the delay between eating and reaction. The inquest also heard that Jeremy may represent what could be the first known fatality in Australia linked directly to this condition.
Jeremy’s mother told the inquest she hopes greater awareness will emerge from the findings. She said that if she had understood the early signs, she would have sought medical testing sooner. She described her son as an active and outdoors-oriented teenager who had experienced numerous tick bites over the years and had occasionally complained of becoming ill after eating red meat, something the family had previously attributed to mild intolerance.
The inquest is now examining whether earlier medical intervention or testing could have identified the condition and prevented Jeremy’s death. Doctors speaking at the hearing called for broader public education about the risks associated with tick bites in bushland areas and urged greater awareness among general practitioners and emergency clinicians. They also highlighted the need for clearer guidelines on diagnosing and managing MMA, given the growing number of cases on Australia’s east coast.
Investigators are currently reviewing medical records, emergency-service information, and the accounts provided by Jeremy’s friends who were present during the trip. The coroner will determine whether MMA played a contributing role in Jeremy’s death and whether systemic factors may have led to the condition going undetected.
Jeremy’s mother has said she hopes the inquest will prevent similar tragedies. She expressed her belief that greater recognition of the allergy could help other families avoid the same fate, saying her son’s death should raise awareness of a condition still unfamiliar to much of the public.
The coroner’s findings are expected to outline recommendations aimed at improving medical training, public knowledge and early identification of meat-related anaphylactic reactions linked to tick exposure.
