ORLANDO, Fla. -- A young boy who is suffering from brain damage after contracting a rare form of meningitis likely came into contact with the disease while visiting SeaWorld's Discovery Cove water park, according to his family.

According to a lawsuit filed this week, Alexander Dittier and his family visited Discovery Cove from Minnesota last November.

Within days of visiting the park's aviary, the entire family became ill with flu-like symptoms, Local 6 News reported.

As the family began to get better, the boy's condition worsened.

He was later diagnosed with histoplasmosis, meningitis that led to a permanent brain injury, according to the family. The rare form of meningitis is caused by a fungus that can be transmitted by birds.

Inside Discovery Cove is a giant, walk-through aviary where visitors can feed birds and get their pictures taken with them.

Family members believe the boy came into contact with the fungus while playing with birds at SeaWorld's Discovery Cove theme park.

"Trying to prove that he did contract the disease at Discovery Cove, the family is seeking a court order trying to obtain a soil sample from inside the aviary," Local 6 reporter Mike Deforest said.

The family would then have experts test the soil to test for signs of the fungus.

According to the Mayo clinic, the fungus itself is common and most people are not affected by it. However, in some rare cases, the fungus can cause serious health problems in young children and people with pre-existing conditions.

The victim's attorney said the child had no prior health problems. He said the only place the boy could have come into contact with the fungus or birds is Discovery Cove.

Brad Andrews, Corporate Vice President of Zoological Operations, Busch Entertainment Corporation offered this statement:

"Guest safety is of the utmost importance to us, and we have had no related issues with the hundreds of thousands of guests who visit our park every year. Our company has the largest collection of animals in the world, and is a global leader in veterinary care and animal husbandry. All of our animals undergo diligent monitoring of their health by our staff of world-class veterinarians and animal experts. As a matter of company policy, we do not discuss the specific details of pending litigation."

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.