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February 6, 2012
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Impetigo

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Impetigo Overview

Impetigo is a common type of skin infection. If you pick at sores or scratch itchy bites, you may cause bacteria to enter your skin and cause impetigo.

  • Bacteria get below the surface of the skin, usually by some sort of break in the skin. Typically, the break in the skin will be noticed (such as a skinned knee or a cut, even an insect bite), but a very small, even microscopic, break is common.
  • Once the bacteria get into the inner layers of the skin, they grow and multiply, creating a blister. Usually, this blister becomes filled with pus and bursts, leaving a crust.

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Impetigo - Length Symptoms Lasted

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Impetigo - Symptoms

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Impetigo

Staphylococcus Overview

Staphylococcus is a genus of bacteria that is characterized by being round (coccus or spheroid shaped), Gram-stain positive, and found as either single cells, in pairs, or more frequently, in clusters that resemble a bunch of grapes. The genus name Staphylococcus is derived from Greek terms (staphyle and kokkos) that mean "a bunch of grapes," which is how the bacteria often appear microscopically after Gram-staining. In 1884, Rosenbach first described and named the bacteria. Two major divisions of the genus Staphylococcus are separated by the bacteria's ability to produce coagulase, an enzyme that can clot blood. Most, but not all, human infections are caused by coagulase-positive S. aureus strains. S. epidermidis strains and other Staphylococcus spp that are coagulase-negative produce slime that interferes with immune defenses (phagocytosis). S. epidermidis are often associated with implanted dev...

Read the Staph Infection article »


Read What Your Physician is Reading on Medscape

Impetigo »

Impetigo is a highly contagious gram-positive bacterial infection of the superficial layers of the epidermis.

Read More on Medscape Reference »

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