SAN DIEGO (AP) — A San Diego family is suing Petco after
the death of their 10-year-old son from a bacterial infection they say
he contracted from his pet rat.
Attorney John Gomez told The
Associated Press on Tuesday that his firm filed the lawsuit Monday in
San Diego County seeking an unspecified amount for the suffering endured
by the Pankey family, whose son, Aidan, died June 12, 2013, hours after
he was rushed to the hospital with severe stomach pains.
The San
Diego County medical examiner’s office ruled that the cause of death was
streptobacillus moniliformis infection, commonly known as rat-bite
fever, after exposure to an infected rat.
The retailer in a statement expressed its condolences.
"We
are deeply saddened by the Pankey family’s tragic loss," Petco said in a
statement. "The health and safety of people and pets is always a top
priority, and we take the family’s concerns very seriously."
The
boy’s grandmother purchased the male rat, which Aidan named Alex,
because her only grandson wanted a mate for his female rat, Gomez said.
The boy took the rat home May 27, 2013, and woke up the night of June 11
in severe pain with a fever and stomach problems. He was pale,
lethargic and could barely walk, according to the lawsuit. He died at
1:09 a.m. the next day.
"He was a bright, energetic, friendly,
happy kid who actually had a prior rat, who was a female, and he had
this idea in his young head of having his female rat get married," Gomez
said.
The lawsuit was not filed until now because attorneys were
awaiting the lab results from the federal Centers for Disease Control,
which tested the rat to confirm it was infected, Gomez said. The agency
could not immediately confirm the results Tuesday.
Gomez said the
Pankey family was not giving interviews, but they are devastated by the
death of their only son and want to raise awareness among parents.
"It’s
a means to ensure this doesn’t happen again," Gomez said of the
lawsuit. "Apparently there was some breakdown in procedures. They want
tighter controls."
According to the lawsuit, the rat appeared
safe. But the lawsuit says Petco should have known about the rodent’s
health and did not adequately test for the disease. It also says that
negligence led to the boy’s death, which has caused his parents, Andrew
Pankey and Vanessa Sauer, emotional and economic hardship, and that the
retailer did not post adequate warnings about the potential risks,
especially for children.
Petco Animal Supplies Inc. said it is "in
the process of investigating these claims and will respond
appropriately when we have more information."
According to the
CDC, people can contract rat-bite fever from bites or scratches from
infected rodents, such as rats, mice and gerbils, or even just by
handling an animal with the disease without a bite or scratch. It can
also be contracted by consuming food or drink contaminated with the
bacteria. It is not spread from person to person.
Antibiotics, such as penicillin, are highly effective at treating rat-bite fever, and it is rarely fatal,
according to the CDC.
The
CDC says those at higher risk of contracting the illness are people
with pet rats or who work with rats in laboratories or pet stores, or
live in rat-infested buildings. The agency recommends that people who
handle rats or clean their cages wear protective gloves, wash their
hands regularly and avoid touching their mouths with their hands after
being in contact with rodents.
Petco also mentions preventative
measures for rat-bite fever in information it posts online and provides
in stores. The company warns that all rats are potential carriers and
that pregnant women, children under the age of five and people with
weakened immune systems should contact their doctor before buying a rat
and "should consider not having a rat as a pet."
Only about 200
cases of rat-bite fever had been documented in the U.S. as of 2004,
according to the Center for Food Security and Public Health at Iowa
State University. Scientists believe the disease may be underdiagnosed
because it is hard to detect and responds to commonly used antibiotics.
But the number of cases, they say, may be increasing, especially among
children, with the growing popularity of rats as pets.
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