I found this in our local news today

[Samm]

Please take a look at this:

http://www.local6.com/news/4974648/detail.html

[Puterguru]

Wow that is disturbing. Makes me want to take my birds back. I have 2 kids, a three year old and a 7 year old.

[Rue]

We all risk illness and death as a integral part of being alive. Unless Sea World was grossly negligent - suing them for someone getting a rare illness linked to an ubiquitous fungus is ludicrous...

...it's going to get to the point where no one will be willing to provide any public sources of entertainment for the fear of being sued...

...if they were negligent, then it's another story altogether...but reporting these things before all the facts are known is irresponsible as far as I'm concerned...and is fear-mongering...let's sue the paper for emotional distress!

[ParrotletLover]

Or they could offer a disclaimer: "By entering this aviary, you agree you will not hold SeaWorld and it's employees liable for (insert whatever here)."

If the child got sick there, and they are responsible, the parents have every right to sue them.

[The Outlaw]

Healthy birds maintained properly will not normally have or pass on this disease. Anyone can have an allergy to anything. I would be devastated, surely, were that to happen to me or someone I loved, but I don't think throwing the baby away with the bathwater has ever been the solution.

As for soil samples, you can find just about everything in soil samples all the time including e coli. Its about the amount and the sensitivity to the pathogens that is at issue. I have never liked the idea of humans having access to birds kept in public places because the the likelihood of contamination from PEOPLE to the birds.

[discobug71]

I agree! I think that they should post something, a disclaimer....and not to mention that you can get meningitis so many other ways.
It's ridiculous and the ppl are looking for blame and probably money for suffering in one form or another.
I was just there a few weeks ago, beautiful place, very clean and nice aviary.

[Tiki]

We have many such places in Australia where people can feed wild birds like Lorikeets, King Parrots, Rosellas among others. I have never heard of anyone getting sick from doing this. It sounds like a freak accident, I don't think Sea World was negligent if they have vets checking their animals like they say. Sounds more like a case of someone trying to make a quick buck-who can say HOW the boy got sick. Maybe a wild bird dropped poops on him. I would hate to see places closing for fear of freak accidents launching ridiculous law suits. People need to take responsibilty for their own actions.

[Freedomoflight]

Heck, how are they ever gonna prove it? I have been to zoos before and walked through avairies and fed lories before!
And didnt they find that in Florida (or another, state, I might be wrong) that children contracted supposidly deadly diseases from petting zoos? Like, some bacteria or something that made them very ill? But it was only a very few cases and very uncommon. Sounds odd, thats all I have to say, cause we all know that public places like that that include animals have to have very high standereds of cleanliness and all that.

[lcbrink]

Originally Posted by ParrotletLover

If the child got sick there, and they are responsible, the parents have every right to sue them.

And if I was a juror in the case I would laugh in the plaintiff's faces for being as*hats.

It's sad when the first thing anyone does when they get sick or have an accident is sue. Says a lot about their character.

[Rowan123]

I think it's completely understandable that these parents want to determine whether their son got this at the park and are considering suing. This is their son, their pride and joy and he is more important than any park. Also, he now has brain damage. The entire course of his young life has been changed. He will possibly require a lot of care and medical attention for the rest of his life. It will cost a lot of money, even with insurance, to care for him.