DENVER (AP) -- A 7-year-old southwest Colorado girl is recovering after contracting bubonic plague and doctors say she could go home from the hospital within a week.
Sierra Jane Downing's parents took to her to the local hospital in Pagosa Springs Aug. 24 after she became ill following a camping trip. She suffered a seizure and had a 107-degree fever and was taken to Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children in Denver, where a pediatrician diagnosed the rare disease.
The bubonic plague hasn't been confirmed in a human in Colorado since 2006, when four cases were reported. Federal health officials say that on average, seven cases are reported in the U.S. each year.
Darcy Downing said her daughter may have been infected by insects near a dead squirrel she wanted to bury.
(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKXRM