What Is Impetigo?

Impetigo is a skin infection caused by bacteria - either group A streptacoccus or staphyloccocus aureus. These are fairly common bacteria found on the skin of healthy people. They can enter open wounds - cuts, scratches, even insect bites - to cause impetigo. Impetigo can affect the skin anywhere on the body but often attacks the area around the nose and mouth. It is more likely to show up on skin already affected by eczema or a skin allergy. Symptoms include blisters that usually burst, oozing fluid before hardening into a yellow-brown crust.

Impetigo is contagious and infection can be spread around the body - or to someone else - by touch. Treatment is by antibiotics, via ointment or pill. Usually, impetigo is no longer contagious after about 24 to 48 hours of treatment. After three days of treatment it should start to heal and scab over.

Good personal hygiene practises will help prevent impetigo as will watching out for skin that is irritated, injured or raw and keeping those areas clean and covered-up.

Impetico is fairly common and it is a highly infectious skin disease. Caused by two different types of bacteria, (both 'Streptococcus' and 'Staphylococcus'), it causes bites and cuts to become infected. The infection is then spread by the sufferer scratching the sores and then touching other areas of the body which are not infected.

Most cases of Impetico seem to involve children due to the fact that it is mainly found in crowded places such as schools and nurseries. However, it can really strike at any age. Usually itchy blisters and sores start to appear after 24 hours of the disease starting. They often expand and burst which produces discharge, and the blisters often start to break down after a few days. Mainly the condition affects the hands and the face, though ti is possible for it to spread to other parts of the body.

Usually the most common way of catching Impetico, is by coming into contact with an infected person.