November 20, 2025

Alpha-Gal, Conspiracies, and Real-World Prevention: What Matt Walsh Got Right, Wrong, and Why Your Daily Habits Matter More Than Any Theory

Over the last week, a viral clip from commentator Matt Walsh has stirred up a wave of questions in the Lyme and tick-borne illness community. Walsh’s segment focused on Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS)—the tick-induced allergy to mammalian meat—and raised everything from legitimate scientific history to highly speculative theories about engineered diseases, global agendas, and “meat intolerance” plots.

Whether or not you agree with Walsh, it’s undeniable that his video has made many people uneasy. And in a community where so many have felt dismissed, unheard, or misdiagnosed for years, skepticism of institutions isn’t exactly new.

But perhaps this moment offers something useful: a reminder that regardless of where you stand on the origins of AGS (or Lyme disease itself), every single person can take meaningful action to protect themselves today.

Before we get to those practical steps, here is a clear, balanced summary of Walsh’s key arguments—presented without judgment—so that you can make up your own mind.

What Matt Walsh Argues About Alpha-Gal Syndrome

1. He highlights the first reported fatality connected to AGS

A New Jersey man with multiple Lone Star tick bites died after eating a hamburger.
Walsh uses this case to frame AGS as a growing, poorly understood threat.

2. He argues AGS is increasing—and doctors are unprepared

Many physicians do not know how to diagnose AGS.
The delayed reaction (3–6 hours after eating meat) makes it easy to miss.

3. He suggests AGS may fit into a larger pattern of “public health mistrust”

Compares AGS to COVID origins.
Believes institutions have lost credibility, making people suspicious of new diseases.

4. He cites fringe bioethicists who discuss “inducing meat intolerance”

These academic papers propose “human engineering” to reduce meat consumption.
Walsh argues these ideas show a willingness among elites to modify humans for climate goals.

5. He notes that scientists can now genetically edit ticks

Refers to studies editing tick embryos to understand disease transmission.
Suggests this opens the door to misuse or unintended consequences.

6. He raises old arguments about the Plum Island / engineered Lyme theory

Refers to the book Bitten and other sources claiming Lyme may have originated in government research.
Uses this to argue that engineered tick diseases are not unthinkable.

7. He asks a question, not an accusation

Walsh frequently says, “I’m just asking questions.”
He encourages listeners to consider whether the rise of AGS is natural, accidental, or intentional.

Where This Leaves the Lyme Community

Some Lyme patients will find Walsh’s segment concerning. Others will dismiss it entirely. And many will land somewhere in the middle: skeptical of institutions, frustrated by decades of medical neglect, but unwilling to leap to conclusions without evidence.

All of those reactions are valid.

The reality is that the origin story matters far less than what we do next. Whether AGS emerged from:

ecological change,
tick migration,
suburban development,
bad luck,
or something more complex…

…the outcome is the same:

More people than ever before are being harmed by ticks.

So let’s focus on what we do control.

The Most Powerful Defense Against AGS and Lyme Is Still Prevention

No matter what anyone believes about AGS origins, the safest and most effective path forward is practical:

1. Avoid Tick Habitats When Possible

Stay on clear trails.
Avoid tall grasses and leaf litter.
Use wood chips or gravel borders around yards.

2. Protect Your Skin and Clothing

Treat clothing with 0.5% permethrin (CDC-approved and highly effective).
Use repellents like picaridin, IR3535, or lemon eucalyptus oil.
Wear light-colored clothing—ticks are easier to see.

3. Do a Full-Body Tick Check Every Time

The best prevention tool we have.
Be thorough:

armpits
groin
waistline
hairline
behind knees
between toes
behind ears

Teach kids to do the same.

4. Know How to Remove a Tick Properly

Use fine-tip tweezers.
Grab the tick at the skin line, not the body.
Pull straight up with steady pressure.

Do not burn it, twist it, or use soap or Vaseline.

5. Seek Early Intervention After a Tick Bite

Regardless of what you believe about the origins of AGS or Lyme disease, early action is the strongest predictor of good outcomes.
Consider:

documenting the bite
saving the tick for testing
speaking to a Lyme-literate clinician
monitoring symptoms closely for 30 days

In some cases, prophylactic treatment may be appropriate—especially if symptoms develop.

Make Up Your Own Mind—but Protect Yourself Either Way

The truth is that the Lyme and AGS communities have something in common:
We know what it feels like to be ignored.
We know what it feels like to ask questions and not get answers.
We know what it feels like when our lived experiences are dismissed.

So if people watch Walsh’s segment and feel concerned, frustrated, or suspicious, that’s their right.

But no matter what you believe about:

the origins of Lyme,
the spread of Alpha-Gal Syndrome,
tick research,
or global agendas…

…the everyday threat is still the same:
a tick the size of a poppy seed putting your health at risk.

And the best way to protect yourself and your family is not by winning the origin debate—it’s by building strong habits that reduce the chance of exposure.

Ticks are here now.
And so is Alpha-Gal Syndrome.
So let’s focus on the practical, actionable steps that keep us safe—today, tomorrow, and all season long.

Stay vigilant. Stay educated. And stay safe.

If you want, I can follow this blog with: