Impetigo

Impetigo is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the surface layers of the skin. There are two types of impetigo:

• non-bullous impetigo - which causes sores that quickly rupture leaving a yellow-brown crust, and
• bullous impetigo - which causes large, painless, fluid-filled blisters

Impetigo can also be further categorised as being either;

• primary - where bacteria enters skin that is otherwise health - for example, through a cut or wound, or
• secondary - where the infection is the result of another underlying cause, such as atopic eczema (a common skin condition).

How common is impetigo?

Non-bullous impetigo is the most common type of impetigo, accounting for over 70% of cases.

Impetigo most commonly affects children. This is due to environments, such as schools and nurseries, where the infection can easily be spread.

In the UK, around 3% of children up to four years of age, and 2% of children who are between five to fourteen years of age get impetigo each year.
 
Impetigo can sometimes affect adults - for example, in circumstances where people are living in a confined environment, such as an army barracks.

Impetigo is highly contagious

Impetigo is not usually a serious condition. However, precautions should be taken to avoid spreading it to other people, particularly newborn babies. These include carefully washing hands after touching affected areas of skin, and not sharing towels or bed linen.

Antibiotic creams are usually recommended to treat the impetigo infection, and to minimise the risk of the condition spreading.

Outlook

Most people are no longer contagious after 48 hours of treatment, or once their sores have dried and healed.

As impetigo is a self-limiting condition (it gets better on its own), complications tend to be rare. However, sometimes the infection can spread to the lymph nodes (lymphadenitis), or to a deeper layer of skin (cellulitis). Less common complications of impetigo can include:

• arthritis- a condition that causes inflammation (swelling) of the joints and bones
• pneumonia- an infection causing inflammation (swelling) of the tissues in one or more of the lungs
• toxic shock syndrome- a rare, life threatening bacterial infection that releases poisonous toxins into the bloodstream

Glossary

Contagious

Contagious is when a disease or infection can be easily passed from one person to another.

Rupture

A rupture is a break or tear in an organ or tissue.

Antibiotic

Antibiotics are medicines used to treat infections caused by micro-organisms, usually bacteria or fungi. Antibiotics include amoxicillin, streptomycin and erythromycin.

Lymph nodes

Lymph nodes are small oval tissues that remove unwanted bacteria and particles from the body. They are part of the immune system.

Kidneys

Kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs located at the back of the abdomen. They remove waste and extra fluid from the blood and pass them out of the body as urine.