Take control of your health. Subscribe to MediResource’s
Impetigo is a very common (and highly contagious) skin infection that is caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Although it can affect anyone, it is most often found in preschool-aged children. Impetigo appears as red blisters or bumps on the face, usually around the nose and the mouth. The blisters may ooze or rupture and release an amber-coloured fluid that dries and forms a honey-coloured crust.
Impetigo can occur when the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that normally live on skin get into cuts, scrapes, or insect bites. It can also occur after someone has had chicken pox and can even develop on normal, healthy skin.
Impetigo is usually not serious and typically goes away on its own within 3 weeks. However, impetigo could potentially lead to complications such as kidney inflammation, severe inflammation of connective tissue under the skin (called cellulitis), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. Because of this, your doctor may decide to prescribe antibiotics that are either applied on the skin or taken by mouth.
Did you find what you were looking for on our website? Please let us know.