In this week's What's Going Around, we begin with a seasonal disease that could be lingering right in your backyard because the summer tick season has arrived.

Dr. Jeffery Feit says he saw a likely case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever this week. The Centers for Disease Control say RMSF is the most severe tick-borne disease in the United States.

Despite the name, more than half of cases happen in Southern Atlantic States. Symptoms include rash and abdominal pain. RMSF can be a severe illness and most patients are hospitalized.

Ticks can also cause Lyme disease.

"It's a tick-borne illness, meaning that it's transferred from the bite of a deer tick. The bacteria is within the deer tick and when they bite a human, it's transmitted into our blood stream," says Dr. Tom Waters with the Cleveland Clinic.

Statistics from the CDC show Lyme disease cases have increased since 1992.

If you've been outdoors and find a tick on your body, get a pair of fine-tipped tweezers and grab the tick close to the skin. Then pull up with a steady, even pressure. Folk remedies such as petroleum jelly or hot matches will only make the problem worse.

Ticks aren't alone. Dr. Greg Jesteadt treated animal bites this week and most were from cats and dogs. The patients all came to him after an infection started.

Jesteadt says, if an animal bites you, see a doctor right away. It's one of the few instances when doctors will prescribe antibiotics before a problem starts.