What's Going Around Dec. 16, 2012

Each Sunday we talk to doctors and nurses at St. Vincent clinics to give you the information you need to know. This week it’s whooping cough, mononucleosis and scabies.

More cases of the whooping cough are going around - this time in Faulkner County.

Also called pertussis, it's a highly contagious respiratory illness. People spread the disease by coughing or sneezing while in close contact with others - which means it's highly contagious.

In November we told you about several cases at Clinton Intermediate School in Van Buren County.

People infected with the whooping cough can cough so hard that they sometimes break a rib.

Dr. Kirk Haselow, State Epidemiologist says, “We've had a few isolated reports in a few communities in Faulkner County but we haven't identified that there’s a significant cluster.”

Mononucleosis is being reported by Cynthia Chandler at the St. Vincent clinic in Walmart in Sherwood.

Most times people show symptoms 4 to 6 weeks after exposure. Those symptoms are fever, sore throat, fatigue, swollen glands, loss of appetite and night sweats.

Mono is a virus and can't be treated with antibiotics. It will go away on it's own after about four weeks. But doctors will give you antibiotics to treat other problems like if you have strep throat along with mono.

Joni Barker, at the St. Vincent clinic at the Bryant Walmart is treating patients with scabies. That's a parasitic infection of the skin.

The female mite gets into the skin and lays eggs. They hatch and cause an itchy rash.

Anyone can get it but it commonly breaks out in nursing homes and day cares.

You’ll need to see your doctor and get a prescription medicated cream to treat it.