Girl infected with bubonic plague out of hospital

DENVER (AP) - Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children says a 7-year-old girl recovering from bubonic plague has been discharged from the hospital.

Sierra Jane Downing of Pagosa Springs left the Denver hospital Monday afternoon.

Her father had taken her to an emergency room in Pagosa Springs late Aug. 24 after she had a seizure and 107-degree fever. Sierra Jane eventually was flown to Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children in Denver, where doctors diagnosed her with bubonic plague.

It was the first human case of the disease confirmed in Colorado since 2006.

Sierra Jane started to recover after being treated with antibiotics.

Darcy Downing says her daughter may have been infected by insects near a dead squirrel that Sierra Jane wanted to bury while the family was camping in southwest Colorado.

Upcoming Events