PETA Releases Lone Star Ticks in Northeastern United States to Induce Meat Allergies.
An April Fool's Day post made on the blog of the activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is still circulating as fact, years after the original joke was first published.
On April 1, 2013 Position (“PETA Set to Release Meat-Allergy–Inducing Ticks in Northeastern US”) is stilted and full of puns:
We're a little concerned that some people still eat animals, but we're not alone: Apparently, so does at least one breed of tick. Scientists have discovered that the bite of the Lone Star tick causes people to be allergic to meat. Once a person is bitten, if they eat meat, things can get a little uncomfortable and a hives-like rash can break out within hours. This gave PETA the germ of an idea, and we'd like your input.
Currently, ticks are found primarily in the southeastern United States. But PETA has hatched a plan to release Lone Star ticks into parks in the Northeast, hoping the warm weather and wet conditions will help the ticks thrive. PETA's Don Beleav, a biologist investigating the feasibility of the project, explained how the resulting meat allergies will greatly benefit human beings who come into contact with the ticks.
Years later, the joke has turned into a claim, albeit a somewhat random one. In the context of 2013, however, such a joke makes a little more sense. In late November 2012, NPR mentionted in scientific discoveries suggesting that Lone Star Ticks can, in rare and specific cases, be allergic to a carbohydrate found in meat — a story widely shared online at the time:
The meat allergy, known as alpha-gal for a sugary carbohydrate found in beef, lamb and pork, causes a hive-like rash – and, in some people, a dangerous anaphylactic reaction – about four hours after consumption of meat. It is caused by antibodies to the alpha-gallon sugar produced in humans after being bitten by common Lone Star ticks.
Now, the government has yet to issue health warnings about meat allergies associated with these ticks – such allergies are still quite rare, and like many other food allergies, the presence of the antibody does not necessarily guarantee an allergic response. Scientists say allergy-causing tick bites have affected about 1,500 people since they were first reported in 2008—compared to the roughly 25,000 new cases of Lyme disease reported each year.
While it is scientifically possible for a tick to occasionally cause a meat allergy, PETA's post highlighting these scientific developments was a hoax intended to “draw attention to a serious issue,” according to PETA spokesperson Nicole Dao:
PETA's Lone Star tick breeding program is as fantastic as a happy elephant at the circus.
[…]
Our April Fool's joke is a fun way to draw attention to a serious issue: that with all the delicious meat-free options available today, you don't have to stay out in the woods — you can go vegetarian.
