The mother of a 2-year-old central Indiana girl who died after being bitten by a tick during a camping trip says lab tests confirmed she was infected with Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Kenley Ratliff of Plainfield died June 4 at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. Her mother, Kayla Conn, says lab tests showed her daughter tested positive for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a tick-borne bacterial infection that can be deadly if not promptly treated.
Conn tells WTHR-TV she'd never heard of the illness. She's urging others to be aware of the dangers of tick-borne diseases.
Kenley fell ill after returning from a camping trip during which a tick bit her. A doctor says she was in the advanced stages of the illness within days of arriving at Riley Hospital.