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Man Dies, Daughter in Coma, from Diseased Pet Parrot 6-20-08
On September 30, 2006, Amanda De La Garza purchased a cockatiel from a
PetSmart store in Corpus Christi, Texas. She took the little Australian parrot
to the home she shared with her father, Joe De La Garza, 63, only to find out
the bird was infected with psittacosis (also known as parrot fever), an avian
bacterial infection that can be passed from birds to humans.
Sixteen days after bringing the bird home, Joe De La Garza became ill with
flu-like symptoms and soon died. Amanda became so ill with similar symptoms that
she was hospitalized for six weeks, spending some of that time in a coma. The De
La Garza family thought Joe died from natural causes until an autopsy revealed
he, like the bird, had contracted psittacosis, as had Amanda.
Amanda’s medical bills quickly topped the $300,000 mark but, even more important
to her, she was too sick to attend her father’s funeral services. Antibiotics
eventually won out over the bacterial infection and today Amanda shows no traces
of the disease.
The Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed in November of 2006
that the bird had died, too, from psittacosis.
The De La Garza family has recently filed suit against PetSmart in state
district court for wrongful death. The family isn’t seeking any monetary gain
from the lawsuit at this time. They just want PetSmart and Rainbow Exotics Inc.
to stop selling exotic cockatiels and other exotic birds. Rainbow Exotics, based
near Waco, Texas, is a supplier of pet animals believed to have sold the
cockatiel in question to the Corpus Christi PetSmart store. The family also
wants to spread awareness to the general public of the health risks associated
with handling exotic birds and other animals.
A spokesperson for PetSmart says the company has plans to “vigorously fight” the
lawsuit, saying the risk of contracting parrot fever from a bird is very low and
that adequate hygiene in the home and in the bird’s cage minimize even the small
risk associated with sharing a home with an exotic bird. She also said all
vendors treat birds sold to PetSmart for psittacosis 15 days before delivery.
In February 2008, bird sales were suspended in 950 PetSmart stores in 47 states,
including Texas, when a small number of cockatiels being sold in 44 stores
tested positive for exposure to or infection with psittacosis. According to
PetSmart, the birds were exposed to the bacteria before reaching their stores.
A similar PetSmart suspension of bird sales occurred in December 2007, again due
to psittacosis.
The Corpus Christi PetSmart store where Amanda De La Garza bought her sick bird
in 2006 is still selling cockatiels.