Girl Infected With Bubonic Plague Out Of Hospital

DENVER (CBS4) - A Pagosa Springs girl who nearly died after being infected with a rare case of bubonic plague has been discharged from a Denver hospital.

Sierra Jane Downing, 7, left Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children 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 Denver, where doctors diagnosed her with the plague.

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

"I really am excited to see my sissies again," Sierra Jane told CBS4.

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.

"Sometimes I'll just go to her bed and look at her just so thankful," she said.

"I never go near a dead squirrel," Sierra Jane said.

She said she can't wait to have the chicken nuggets at school again.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)