The tick-borne illness that causes those infected to become severely allergic to meat and dairy products is emerging as an increasing concern in Rhode Island.

The Centers for Disease Control said nearly a half-million people are affected by the condition nationwide — with symptoms that can vary in severity with each exposure to meat or dairy.

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The CDC said symptoms include the acute onset of any one or more of the following allergic and/or gastrointestinal symptoms that occur 2–10 hours after ingestion of pork, beef, lamb, any other mammalian meat, or any mammalian-derived product (e.g. gelatin), or within two hours after intramuscular, intravenous, or subcutaneous administration of alpha-gal containing vaccination or medication:

• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Heartburn/indigestion
• Hives
• Itching
• Anaphylaxis as diagnosed by a provider
• Swelling of one or more of the following: lips, tongue, throat, face, eyelids, or other associated structures
• Shortness of breath
• Cough
• Wheezing
• Acute episode of hypotension

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WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — A portion of Ottawa Avenue in Warwick was blocked off by crime scene tape Monday afternoon as police investigated a double stabbing.

According to Warwick police, the initial call they received around 3:30 p.m. indicated someone with a knife was trying to break into an Ottawa Avenue home as part of an ongoing domestic incident. As they headed to the scene, police said, additional calls came in letting them know that people had been stabbed.

Capt. Matthew Higgins said officers arrived at the scene and took 29-year-old Caleb Brown into custody immediately. They reportedly found two stabbing victims with critical injuries, one inside an Ottawa Avenue home, while another was found outside in a front yard.

The stabbing victims — a woman who was stabbed in the abdomen and a man who was stabbed in the neck — were both rushed to the hospital to undergo surgery, and both are expected to survive, according to police.

Brown is also being treated at the hospital for minor injuries to his hands, police said.

Police tell 12 News they are still interviewing eyewitnesses, but are not looking for any other suspects, as this was an isolated incident. They say the suspect will be facing felony charges.

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The Real Housewives of Rhode Island is already my entire personality, and now the show has secured its position as a new franchise favorite with some seriously iconic taglines.

Kelsey Swanson: “Who needs a sugar daddy when my life is this sweet?”

Rulla Nehme Pontarell: “I have a blessed life, and I’m a loyal wife.”