parks
12-year-old girl survives septic shock from flea-borne illness after coming home from youth camp
Summary by Laredo News Editorial Desk · Based on reporting from KGNS — Sitewide
· July 21, 2026
· 3 min read
WACO, Texas ( KWTX /Gray News) - A 12-year-old girl from Texas spent six days in the hospital after flea-borne typhus triggered septic shock. The infectious disease specialist who treated her said he is seeing higher-than-usual numbers of the illness this summer. Hope Smith returned from youth ca...
Story provenance No corrections
Summary created by Laredo News Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Original reporting KGNS — Sitewide Original story Read at the source Source published Jul 21, 2026 Indexed here Jul 21, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
Every story comes with a passport. How we work · Corrections log
Key takeaway Within days, her fever climbed to nearly 106 degrees and refused to break.
Why this matters in Laredo News
The case of the 12-year-old girl from Texas who contracted flea-borne typhus at youth camp is a stark reminder of the health risks associated with outdoor activities in our region. As Laredo residents, we should be aware that murine typhus can be prevalent in our area, particularly during warm weather months when flea populations thrive. The fact that the pediatric infectious disease specialist who treated the girl is seeing higher-than-usual numbers of the illness this summer suggests that our community may be at increased risk. With Laredo's warm winters, flea and tick populations may not be adequately controlled, putting residents at greater risk of contracting murine typhus. It is crucial for parents and caregivers to be vigilant about monitoring children for symptoms of the illness, especially after participating in outdoor activities, and to seek medical attention promptly if they suspect something is wrong.
About this story
Original reporting by KGNS — Sitewide . Laredo News surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit KGNS — Sitewide . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: parks ·
Published: July 21, 2026 ·
Source: KGNS — Sitewide ·
Reading time: 3 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? WACO, Texas ( KWTX /Gray News) - A 12-year-old girl from Texas spent six days in the hospital after flea-borne typhus triggered septic shock. The infectious disease specialist who treated her said he is seeing higher-than-usual numbers of the illness this summer. Hope Smith returned from youth ca...
When was this published? This article was first published on July 21, 2026 by KGNS — Sitewide and curated for Laredo News readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by KGNS — Sitewide. To learn more about how Laredo News selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more parks coverage from Laredo News, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
← Back to all news
More parks →
Today’s briefing
Subscribe to newsletter