BY GLENN FREEMAN

Chino — The death of a 10-year old San Diego boy, who died from a bacterial infection, has been linked to a pet rat purchased at a Petco, whose supplier is said to be a wholesaler based in Chino. The family of the boy has filed a lawsuit against Petco, saying they hope to bring awareness to the potential risks.

According to the lawsuit filed Monday against Petco, Aidan Pankey died in June 2013 after contracting what San Diego Coroner officials determined in December as being a streptobacillus moniliformis infection, commonly known as Rat-Bite Fever. The infection can come from exposure to an infected rat, and not necessarily from a bite.

The family says their son’s death came about two weeks after his grandmother bought him the pet rat from a Petco location in San Diego. A Petco employee said their rats are supplied by Barney’s Pet Products, an animal wholesaler based in Chino, according to a report by 10 News.

Officials with Barney’s did not a return phone call and could not be reached for comment. According to the company’s website, the company has been a wholesaler and breeder of pets and birds for over 25 years, and is one of the largest suppliers in the United States. The website highlights the company’s “strict enforcement” of its Best Care policy of “pre-screening, daily requirements, and safe transportation procedures” that “keeps the animals healthy and safe.”

Pankey family attorney, John Gomez, told The Associated Press that his firm filed the lawsuit on Feb. 24 in San Diego County, seeking an unspecified amount for the suffering endured by the Pankey family.
“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 told The Associated Press.

According to news reports, Gomez says the boy’s family is suing Petco for “strict liability and negligence and will be seeking compensatory and punitive damages … it’s a means to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” referring to the lawsuit. “Apparently there was some breakdown in procedures. They want tighter controls.”

The family has said the rat was purchased as a mate for a pet rat Aidan already had. It was deemed as a “summer science project,” the family told ABC News.

In a statement released by Petco, the company expressed its condolences. “We’re saddened by the Pankey family’s tragic loss,” the statement said. “We follow what we believe are the industry’s strongest standards for companion animal health and welfare … We require our live animal suppliers to meet or exceed USDA requirements for the care and treatment of animals … We leave specific testing protocols to be determined by our vendors unless we identify a reason for concern.”

On their website, Petco makes available “care sheets” with information and precautions on how to prevent spread of infections, including Rat-Bite Fever. The company warns that all rats are potential carriers and that people with weakened immune systems, children under the age of five, and pregnant women “should avoid contact with rodents” and consider not having them as pets.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Rat-Bite Fever can be contracted from bites or scratches from infected rodents, such as rats, mice and gerbils. Transmission can also occur by handling an animal with the disease or by consuming food or drink contaminated with the bacteria. The agency recommends those who handle rodents wear gloves, wash their hands thoroughly, and avoid touching their mouths with their hands after contact. The CDC website says antibiotics, such as penicillin, are highly effective at treating Rat-Bite Fever, saying it is rarely fatal and not spread from person to person.