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Tag: infected rat

  • Infected Rat Bite Death: Is Rat Bite Fever Common?

    An infected rat is being blamed for taking the life of 10-year-old Aidan Pankey, and now his grieving parents are suing Petco. The rat was reportedly infected with streptobacillus moniliformis which causes what is commonly known as rat bite fever, according to Fox News.

    Aidan was rushed to the emergency room on June 11, 2013 and died hours later on June 12th. He was lethargic, pale, and complaining of severe stomach pain. He was barely able to walk.

    According to the Centers for Disease Control, Rat Bite Fever can be contracted from the bite or scratch, or simple handling, of an infected rodent such as a rat, mouse, gerbil, hamster, etc. It can also be contracted through contaminated water or food.

    The CDC says that Rat Bite Fever is underdiagnosed since it responds well to common antibiotics like penicillin and is hard to detect as it presents like common viruses and bacterial infections. They also say it is rarely fatal.

    Petco expressed condolences in a statement saying,

    “We are deeply saddened by the Pankey family’s tragic loss. The health and safety of people and pets is always a top priority, and we take the family’s concerns very seriously.”

    That doesn’t do much for the Pankey family who want to prevent this happening to anyone else’s child. They say that Petco should have had more information on the health of the rodents that they sell, and should have warned about the danger to children.

    “It’s a means to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” Family Attorney John Gomez said of the lawsuit. “Apparently there was some breakdown in procedures. They want tighter controls.”

    Although they know that no win in court will bring back their son, hopefully they can honor Aidan’s memory by reducing the chances of another family losing a child to Rat Bite Fever.

    “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 of Aidan.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Infected Rat Bite Kills Boy, Family Sues Petco

    Ten-year-old Aiden Pankey died June 12, 2013 from rat-bite fever two weeks after buying a rat from Petco and now the family is blaming the pet store for his death and is filing suit for strict liability and negligence.

    Attorney John Gomez told The Associated Press on Tuesday that his firm filed a lawsuit Monday in San Diego County seeking an unspecified amount for the suffering endured by the Pankey family.

    Aidan was infected by a rat the family bought as a mate for his pet rat Oreo. He became sick two weeks after the family purchased the rat and died the following day.

    Aiden’s grandmother, Sharon Pankey, stopped at Petco in San Diego so the boy could pick out a mate for Orea. He chose a black rat that he named Alex.

    “He said, ‘You know Grammy, when Oreo has babies I’m going to be grandpa and you’re going to be a great-grandma,’” Sharon said. “One of the things he loved most, his rat, ended up in him dying because the rat we bought, we found out later, had rat-bite fever.”

    According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, streptobacillus moniliformis infection, or rat’s bite fever, is an infectious disease that comes mostly from bites, scratches or handling an infected rodent. It can be fatal if not treated.

    “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.

    Petco said in a statement to ABC10 in San Diego:

    “At Petco, we follow what we believe are the industry’s strongest standards for companion animal health and welfare, and we require our vendors to meet the same standards for animal care and well-being. We require our live animal suppliers to meet or exceed USDA requirements for the care and treatment of animals, as well as follow strict requirements for housing, feeding, breeding, shipping and caring for sick or injured animals. We leave specific testing protocols to be determined by our vendors unless we identify a reason for concern.”

    “We’re saddened by the Pankey family’s tragic loss and are very interested in speaking directly with the family to better understand their claims.”

    Aidan’s death has deeply affected the family. Aiden’s dad, Andrew Pankey, said he can’t eat, sleep and needed to take a leave of absence from work to deal with his grief.

    “He was my family,” he said. “I’m probably down 30 to 35 pounds since then. I don’t even get hungry. I just go until I pass out. It sounds bad but I just want him back.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Infected Rat Bite Kills Boy: Petco Blamed

    Infected Rat Bite Kills Boy: Petco Blamed

    Aidan Pankey was the proud owner of a pet rat he named Oreo. According to friends and family members, Oreo and Aidan were inseparable and went everywhere together. Although Oreo seemed like the perfect companion for Aidan, the rat would eventually lead to his death. Aiden died two weeks after purchasing the rat and although it took a while for the family to find out the cause of death, they recently revealed that it was due to a bite from Oreo the rat.

    Oreo was infected and her bite caused Aidan to catch rat bite fever. Rat bite fever is an infectious disease caused by bacteria. Symptoms of the disease include fever, vomiting, headache, muscle pain and sometimes a rash. Aiden only showed signs of being sick for one day before he died.

    The family is upset that the rat Aiden loved so much ended up causing his death and they are blaming Petco, the store where the rat was purchased. The family has filed a lawsuit against Petco, claiming they were negligent in making sure the rat was not infected.

    “Clearly there were not sufficient safety procedures in place at Petco when they sold this rat,” the family’s attorney, Hamilton Arendsen of Gomez Trial Attorneys, said.

    The family hopes that the lawsuit will prevent other people from buying and being bitten by infected rats.

    Petco released a statement about the incident saying,

    At Petco, we follow what we believe are the industry’s strongest standards for companion animal health and welfare, and we require our vendors to meet the same standards for animal care and well-being. We require our live animal suppliers to meet or exceed USDA requirements for the care and treatment of animals, as well as follow strict requirements for housing, feeding, breeding, shipping and caring for sick or injured animals. We leave specific testing protocols to be determined by our vendors unless we identify a reason for concern. We’re saddened by the Pankey family’s tragic loss and are very interested in speaking directly with the family to better understand their claims.

    Do you think Petco is to blame for the boy’s death?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons