What is impetigo caused by?

What is impetigo caused by?

Impetigo is a skin infection caused by one or both of the following bacteria: group A Streptococcus and Staphylococcus aureus. This page focuses on impetigo caused by group A Streptococcus (group A strep). In addition to impetigo, group A strep cause many other types of infections.

How do you get impetigo?

Impetigo is caused by bacteria, usually staphylococci organisms. You might be exposed to the bacteria that cause impetigo when you come into contact with the sores of someone who’s infected or with items they’ve touched — such as clothing, bed linen, towels and even toys.

What does impetigo look like in adults?

Impetigo causes red bumps to form on your skin, often on your face, arms, or legs. These bumps then become blisters. These blisters burst and scab over, forming a yellow-brown crust. The skin may also look reddish or raw where the blisters have popped open.

Is impetigo A parasite?

Impetigo is a bacterial infection caused by staphylococcus or β-hemolytic streptococcus. It begins as an erythema, but can rapidly develop into blisters and honey-colored crusted lesions. It most commonly occurs on the face; however, it is very contagious and can spread rapidly to any part of the body.

Can impetigo go away on its own?

Untreated, impetigo often clears up on its own after a few days or weeks, Smith says. The key is to keep the infected area clean with soap and water and not to scratch it. The downside of not treating impetigo is that some people might develop more lesions that spread to other areas of their body.

What is impetigo and how do you get it?

Impetigo is a superficial bacterial infection of the skin, typically caused by staphylococcal or streptococcal bacteria. Breaks in the skin, by scrape, cut or insect bite, allow the bacteria into the skin leading to the infection.

What does impetigo look like in the beginning?

A Little Like Acne In The Beginning. The very first stages of impetigo look superficially a lot like acne. In the most common form of impetigo, the disease starts as a single macule, an area of reddened skin that is neither elevated above the general contour of the skin nor indented below the general contour of the skin.

What do you need to know about impetigo?

Impetigo is a skin infection caused by bacteria. The infection can cause sores to form anywhere on your body. The sores develop watery or pus-filled blisters that break and form thick crusts. Impetigo is most common in children and spreads easily from person to person. How is impetigo diagnosed? Your healthcare provider will examine your sores.

What are the signs that impetigo is healing?

Because the crusts and blisters of impetigo are superficial, impetigo generally does not leave scars. Affected skin looks red for a while after the crusts go away, but this redness fades in a matter of days to weeks. Once the skin has healed, sunscreen application is indicated.