Impetigo: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment – and How it Differs from Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease
Impetigo is a common and contagious bacterial skin infection. It typically affects children between two and five years old, but anyone can get it.
Keep reading to learn basic facts about impetigo, prevention tips, treatment options, and how it differs from hand, foot, and mouth disease.
What causes impetigo?
Impetigo is an itchy, sometimes painful, skin infection. It starts with a break in the skin from a cut, insect bite, scratch, or skin damage from eczema. The open wound allows bacteria to move in and cause an infection. The infection is caused by bacteria, including group A streptococcus (strep) and staphylococcus aureus (staph). Impetigo occurs more often in warmer months when children are outside.
What are the signs and symptoms of impetigo?
Symptoms of impetigo develop within three days after the bacteria infects the skin. The first signs are red itchy sores that break open and leak pus or a clear fluid for several days. Next, a crusty yellow-brown scab forms over the sore, which typically heals without leaving a scar. Impetigo most often affects exposed skin – around the mouth and nose and on the arms and legs. It can also appear on the scalp or hairline.
Untreated, impetigo can develop into ecthyma, which is more serious and goes deeper into a child’s skin.
Is impetigo contagious?
Impetigo is highly contagious. Most people get it through direct skin-to-skin contact. You can also get impetigo by coming into contact with sores, mucus, or nasal discharge from someone who has it. Children and athletes often get it this way.