Can impetigo recur

In those communities prompt treatment and control of impetigo is an important part of preventing rheumatic heart disease. For further information please call your local Public Health Unit on You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Skip to content Contact us Emergency information. Last updated: 12 April What is impetigo? Uncomplicated impetigo does not cause permanent damage to the skin, but is highly contagious.

What does it look like? How is it diagnosed? How is it treated? How is it spread? How can you avoid spreading the infection? Used dressings should be placed in a sealed bag and put in the garbage bin as soon as they are removed.

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Where can I find lanolin-free sun cream? Last updated Parenting Mental health Healthy eating Conditions Follow. Type keyword s to search. Question Around six months ago my three-year-old son suffered a troublesome bout of impetigo.

Answer You're right that impetigo is an infection caused by bacteria, not viruses. Call the healthcare provider if your child has a skin infection after being in contact with anyone who has impetigo. Key points about impetigo in children Impetigo is an infection that affects the skin.

It causes skin sores. The sores may be red and painful, and contain fluid called pus. They may drain and crust. Impetigo is usually treated with antibiotic cream, ointment, pills, or liquid. Keeping the skin clean may help to prevent the spread of impetigo. It is very important to wash hands well after caring for your child. Impetigo can spread in a household. Don't share towels, washcloths, or other personal items. Your child can return to daycare or school 24 hours after starting antibiotic treatment.

Before your visit, write down questions you want answered. At the visit, write down the name of a new diagnosis, and any new medicines, treatments, or tests. Also write down any new instructions your provider gives you for your child. Know why a new medicine or treatment is prescribed and how it will help your child.

Also know what the side effects are. Know why a test or procedure is recommended and what the results could mean. Know what to expect if your child does not take the medicine or have the test or procedure. If your child has a follow-up appointment, write down the date, time, and purpose for that visit. Antibiotic cream usually clears this type of skin problem quickly.

Antibiotic tablets or liquid medicines are sometimes needed. Impetigo is a skin infection. It is usually caused by a germ bacterium. Often, one of the following three types of bacterial infection is responsible:. This is the most common form of impetigo. The rash typically appears days after you have been infected with bacteria.

Small fluid-filled blisters develop at first. You may not see the blisters, as they usually burst to leave scabby patches on the skin. Sometimes only one or two patches develop. They often look like moist, golden crusts like cornflakes stuck on to the skin.

An area of redness inflammation may develop under each patch. Sometimes affected skin is just red and inflamed - especially if the 'crust' is picked or scratched off.

The face is the one of the most common parts of the body affected but impetigo can occur on any area of the skin. Patches of impetigo vary in size but are usually quite small - a centimetre or so to begin with. Impetigo can spread. Smaller 'satellite' patches may develop around an existing patch and spread outwards. This type of impetigo tends to look like larger blisters. The skin on the top of these blisters is very thin and peels off, leaving large red raw areas underneath.

It may occur on your face, arms, legs, or bottom. It is more likely in areas which already have another skin condition, such as eczema. This is a more uncommon type of impetigo where the breaks in the skin are quite deep, forming ulcers.