Tick

Her parents never saw a tick or any indication of a bite, but 7-year-old Kaitlyn Stetzer spent almost a week in the hospital with what doctors believe is Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

She came home from the hospital Saturday.

"Thanks so much for all the prayers - please keep praying for Kaitlyn," her father, the Rev. Ed Stetzer, wrote on his blog.

The Hendersonville girl is among several Middle Tennessee residents who have gotten sick with the fever - a tick-borne illness that is more widespread this spring. As of mid-May, 74 confirmed cases have occurred statewide - a threefold increase from the same period a year ago. Six of those cases are in Davidson County, and 15 are in the counties surrounding Nashville. The Tennessee Department of Health is urging people to take precautions against exposure and to recognize signs of the illness.

Read more at The Tennessean.