Impetigo

Impetigo (im-puh-TIE-go) is a common and highly contagious skin infection that mainly affects infants and young children. It usually appears as reddish sores on the face, especially around the nose and mouth and on the hands and feet. Over about a week, the sores burst and develop honey-colored crusts.

Causes

Bullous impetigo

Bullous impetigo causes fluid-filled blisters often on the trunk, arms and legs of infants and children younger than 2 years.

Ecthyma

A more serious form of impetigo, called ecthyma, penetrates deeper into the skin causing painful fluid- or pus-filled sores that turn into deep ulcers.

Risk factors:

Factors that increase the risk of impetigo include:

• Age: Impetigo occurs most commonly in children ages 2 to 5.

• Close contact: Impetigo spreads easily within families, in crowded settings, such as schools and child. care facilities, and from participating in sports that involve skin-to-skin contact.

• Warm, humid weather: Impetigo infections are more common in warm, humid weather.

• Broken skin: The bacteria that cause impetigo often enter the skin through a small cut, insect bite or rash.

• Other health conditions: Children with other skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis (eczema), are more likely to develop impetigo. Older adults, people with diabetes or people with a weakened immune system are also more likely to get it.