12-year-old girl survives septic shock from flea-borne illness after coming home from youth camp

Summary by The Midland Editorial Desk · Based on reporting from KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS) · 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...

Why this matters

Local news anchors readers in their community — the people, places, and decisions that shape day-to-day life. The Midland covers these stories because national outlets often won't.

About this story

Original reporting by KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS). The Midland 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 KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS). Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom.

Category: parks · Published: July 21, 2026 · Source: KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS) · Reading time: 3 min

Frequently asked about this story

What is this story about?

When was this published?

This article was first published on July 21, 2026 by KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS) and curated for The Midland readers.

Who reported this story?

This story was reported by KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS). To learn more about how The Midland selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards.

Where can I find related coverage?

See more parks coverage from The Midland, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs.

Summary created by	The Midland Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed
Original reporting	KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS)
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

12-year-old girl survives septic shock from flea-borne illness after coming home from youth camp

More stories

Family of 4 hit by alleged OUI driver while walking on sidewalk at summer festival

Suspects wanted for $1.3 million pump shaft theft in Midland

78-year-old woman accused of leaving child, dog in hot car while she was inside Home Depot

Man in ICE custody after alleged sexual assault, murder of 2-year-old girl

12-year-old girl survives septic shock from flea-borne illness after coming home from youth camp

Republicans cry “woke” at Smithsonian

Teen dies in ‘avoidable accident’ while cliff jumping at quarry, police say

MDC, Council agreement supports AST SpaceMobile expansion

Odessa teacher and Army veteran announces run for District 4 City Council

Midland officials approved AST SpaceMobile expansion project

Midland elected official calls for County Judge Terry Johnson’s resignation

‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ actress Kaylee Hottle reportedly dies in car crash at 18

Get the briefing.