Common especially with children in school. Here in Thailand i have seen some very bad cases in children that can leave scares the rest of their life. Poor or village children i have seen the worst cases. Today had to send my children friends away because they had it. The boy could not go to school his case was so bad.
Source is the Mayo Clinic
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.
Treatment with antibiotics is generally recommended to help prevent the spread of impetigo to others. It’s important to keep your child home from school or day care until he or she is no longer contagious — usually 24 hours after you begin antibiotic treatment.
Classic signs and symptoms of impetigo involve red sores that quickly rupture, ooze for a few days and then form a yellowish-brown crust. The sores usually occur around the nose and mouth but can be spread to other areas of the body by fingers, clothing and towels. Itching and soreness are generally mild.
A less common form of the disorder, called bullous impetigo, may feature larger blisters that occur on the trunk of infants and young children.
You’re exposed to the bacteria that cause impetigo when you come into contact with the sores of someone who’s infected or with items they’ve touched — such as clothing, bed linen, towels and even toys.
Keeping skin clean is the best way to keep it healthy. It’s important to wash cuts, scrapes, insect bites and other wounds right away.
To help prevent impetigo from spreading to others:
- Gently wash the affected areas with mild soap and running water and then cover lightly with gauze.
- Wash an infected person’s clothes, linens and towels every day and don’t share them with anyone else in your family.
- Wear gloves when applying antibiotic ointment and wash your hands thoroughly afterward.
- Cut an infected child’s nails short to prevent damage from scratching.
- Wash hands frequently.
- Keep your child home until your doctor says he or she isn’t contagious.