What's Going Around Oct. 21, 2012

Each Sunday we survey doctors at St. Vincent Health Clinics to find out "What's Going Around" so you'll know what to watch for.

Students and teachers at Mayflower Elementary have been told to stay home Monday. Friday only 115 students out of 440 showed up. Most of them, even some teachers, stayed home because they've been battling mono, high fever, and strep throat!

So Monday, everybody's been told to stay home while they continue disinfecting the campus.

The illness began to spread to some of the students' siblings. In fact, the principal at the middle school told us some students were out last week.

Martha Berry - a nurse practitioner at Sherwood’s St. Vincent Clinic in Walmart had a patient who was bitten by a cat so the health department wanted them to get tested for rabies.

Rabies is a viral disease that dogs, cats and other animals get and can be transmitted to humans if they are bitten or if the animal licks an open wound.

There are usually no symptoms until it's too late which is why it's important to get a blood test or sample tissue test right away.

Symptoms can be quite severe, from fever and headache to hallucinations and partial paralysis.

And here's something to remember - if you wake up and find a bat in your room, or the room of a child or disabled person - assume there was a bite because it's not always obvious.
Dr. Camille Braswell at the St. Vincent clinic on Rodney Parham in Little Rock says she's seeing people with back pain, which is pretty common. 8 out of 10 people will get it at some point.

Acute back pain comes on suddenly and lasts for a few days or weeks. Chronic back pain can last for months.

Over the counter pain meds can help along with rest. But doctors say only stay in bed for a couple of days or it could get worse.

If you're still in pain after three days, if it's severe or if it's from an injury,see a doctor.