Plague leaves person in Pueblo County dead, man in Boulder recovering

BOULDER, Colo. -- When you hear the word plague, it's easy to think of world history and the disaster from centuries ago.

Today, when talking about the plague it's still a serious disease and one to be on alert about.

A man in Boulder is recovering with a case of the plague after he came into contact with a dead chipmunk that carried the disease. Plague is often found in dead rodents.

In rare cases, it can be deadly in people.

A young man in Larimer County died earlier this summer from the plague. And, Pueblo just reported its first death from the plague in 11 years.

The Boulder Health Department says in its case, the patient is doing better and it's confident the case is isolated.

Symptoms of the plague usually develop one to six days after being infected. They include:

High fever
Extreme fatigue
Nausea and vomiting
Muscle aches
Painful, swollen lymph nodes
Possible pneumonia