A tick bite may have been the culprit behind the death of a young Indiana girl who fell ill in just a couple of days last week.
Doctors believe that the two-year-old died from Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, a tick-borne illness that leads to a bacterial infection. Autopsy results will confirm if a tick bite indeed resulted in her death.
Kenley’s Case
Kenley Ratliff was brought to the emergency room twice for strep throat but was eventually released. She returned and was finally admitted to the hospital when the fever didn’t go away.
In a WISH TV report, family friend Nichol Kirby recounted that Ratliff was brought to Riley Hospital for Children last Tuesday, May 30, due to her high fever.
“She had a 104 degree fever and that fever remained about a 103.8 all week long up until her untimely death on Saturday morning at 2:45 a.m.,” Kirby said in the report, citing that the girl was given antibiotic and placed on a breathing tube while doctors attempted to diagnose her.
Her doctors suspected Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever through a bite.
The baby was said to suffer swollen hands, rashes, and brain infection. The purple rashes were all over her body, and her hand was nearly the size of her mother’s due to swelling, Kirby added.
Ratliff, a bubbly girl who loved dancing and music, was known by her family to be fond of spending time outdoors, although no one knew where she may have possibly been bitten by a tick.
Always Check For Ticks
Ratliff’s mother, through Kirby, wanted to warn other families to always check for ticks not only on their children but also their pets at home.
“She would be devastated to see this happen to anyone else,” Kirby said.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family. On June 10, friends and loved ones will be celebrating Ratliff’s life in a memorial service at Hazelwood Christian Church.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever can result in death if not promptly treated. Its symptoms include headache, fever, abdominal pain, muscle pain, and vomiting, and many cases of it see a rash developing.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that the disease’s progression greatly varies, and patients treated right away may have quick recovery on outpatient drugs. More severe cases, however, may entail IV antibiotics, extended hospitalization, or intensive care.
According to Indiana’s health department, they received 40 cases of the disease in 2016.
Record Year For Tick Infestation?
Health experts and professionals have warned that a warm winter means fewer ticks dying off during the season. This summer is predicted to be the worst tick season ever, including for tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease.
The Powassan virus too is feared to rear its ugly head and make people sick through infected ticks.
The CDC stated that most cases of the condition were documented in the Great Lakes and Northeast region, with an infected individual likely to develop fever, weakness, headache, vomiting, and seizures.
Just last month, a girl from Oregon unknowingly got bit by a tick and ended up being temporarily paralyzed. Her mother took to Facebook to warn other parents of tick paralysis, a rare condition believed to be caused by the toxins in tick saliva.
