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11:04
Impetigo Bacterial Skin Infection
A. Hasudungan
Related terms:
erysipelas
furunculosis
pneumococcal infection
rheumatic fever
scarlet fever
streptococcal infections
Disease or Syndrome
impetigo Audio
im·pe·ti·go [ im-pi-tahy-goh ]
Subclass of:
Staphylococcal Skin Infections; Streptococcal Infections
Etymology:
Latin impetere = to attack
A name given to this disease because of the suddenness with which it may develop.
Definitions related to impetigo:
  • A bacterial skin infection characterized by red sores or blisters that progress to a honey colored crust.
    NICHD Pediatric Terminology
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • A common superficial bacterial infection caused by STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS or group A beta-hemolytic streptococci. Characteristics include pustular lesions that rupture and discharge a thin, amber-colored fluid that dries and forms a crust. This condition is commonly located on the face, especially about the mouth and nose.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • A contagious bacterial cutaneous infection that affects children and is usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus. It usually presents in the face with honey colored scabs.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Impetigo is a skin infection caused by bacteria. It is usually caused by staphylococcal (staph) bacteria, but it can also be caused by streptococcal (strep) bacteria. It is most common in children between the ages of two and six. It usually starts when bacteria get into a break in the skin, such as a cut, scratch, or insect bite. Symptoms start with red or pimple-like sores surrounded by red skin. These sores can be anywhere, but usually they occur on your face, arms and legs. The sores fill with pus, then break open after a few days and form a thick crust. They are often itchy, but scratching them can spread the sores. Impetigo can spread by contact with sores or nasal discharge from an infected person. You can treat impetigo with antibiotics.
    MedlinePlus
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • Impetigo is an acute, highly contagious gram-positive bacterial infection of the superficial layers of the epidermis. Skin lesions such as cuts, abrasions, and chickenpox can also become secondarily infected (impetiginized) with the same pathogens that produce classic impetigo.
    Medscape
    WebMD, 2025
  • Impetigo (im-puh-TIE-go) is a common and highly contagious skin infection that mainly affects infants and children. Impetigo usually appears as red sores on the face, especially around a child's nose and mouth, and on hands and feet. The sores burst and develop honey-colored crusts.
    Mayo Clinic
    Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2025
  • Impetigo is a superficial, contagious, blistering infection of the skin caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes . It has 2 forms: nonbullous and bullous. Bullae are fluid-filled lesions >0.5 cm in diameter.
    Epocrates
    Athenahealth, Inc., 2019
  • Impetigo, inflammatory skin infection that begins as a superficial blister or pustule that then ruptures and gives rise to a weeping spot on which the fluid dries to form a distinct honey-coloured crust. Impetigo is caused by Staphylococcus or Streptococcus bacteria. It is seldom contagious in...
    Encyclopedia Britannica
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2025
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