An infectious disease is on the rise here in the Natural State, with an outbreak Tuesday in Central Arkansas.
And there's cases of Whooping Cough happening right here in Northwest Arkansas.
And there's cases of Whooping Cough happening right here in Northwest Arkansas.
"Pertussis can be deadly," says Debbie Pledger, with the Arkansas Department of Health.
It's a disease more commonly known as Whooping Cough and most harmful for children.
"They don't like to eat they don't like to do anything, they cant sleep they're just miserable and it's pretty heartbreaking," says Megan Kumpe, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with Northwest Medical System.
"It's mostly dangerous to infants because of the respiratory complications," says Pledger.
It's a disease more commonly known as Whooping Cough and most harmful for children.
"They don't like to eat they don't like to do anything, they cant sleep they're just miserable and it's pretty heartbreaking," says Megan Kumpe, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with Northwest Medical System.
"It's mostly dangerous to infants because of the respiratory complications," says Pledger.
And it's only getting worse.
"We've seen an increase in the number of cases especially in children whose parents have chosen not to immunize," says Pledger.
But it's not just kids, according the Arkansas Department of Health, only 5-10%of adults get the TDAP vaccination
"The whooping cough gets spread through saliva so when you cough those particles are spread," says Kumpe.
And the less folks vaccinated, means the more cases right here in our backyard.
"We're recommending that newborns, parents of newborns, grandparents, anybody that's going to come in contact with small children have a TDAP shot," says Pledger.
It's a new initiative by the CDC called "cocooning" but there's even more you can do to fight infection.
"Hand hygiene with any illness this time of year that is the best way to prevent any infection," says Kumpe.
And it's necessary because infection can spread so quickly.
"The incubation time is between 6 and 21 days so sometimes people don't even know they have it when they're spreading it to other people," says Kumpe.
So doctors think it's better to be safe, than sorry.
"We've seen an increase in the number of cases especially in children whose parents have chosen not to immunize," says Pledger.
But it's not just kids, according the Arkansas Department of Health, only 5-10%of adults get the TDAP vaccination
"The whooping cough gets spread through saliva so when you cough those particles are spread," says Kumpe.
And the less folks vaccinated, means the more cases right here in our backyard.
"We're recommending that newborns, parents of newborns, grandparents, anybody that's going to come in contact with small children have a TDAP shot," says Pledger.
It's a new initiative by the CDC called "cocooning" but there's even more you can do to fight infection.
"Hand hygiene with any illness this time of year that is the best way to prevent any infection," says Kumpe.
And it's necessary because infection can spread so quickly.
"The incubation time is between 6 and 21 days so sometimes people don't even know they have it when they're spreading it to other people," says Kumpe.
So doctors think it's better to be safe, than sorry.
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