Skin Infections (2024)

FAQs

What are 6 common skin infections? ›

You may have lab tests, such as a skin culture. This is a test to identify what type of infection you have, using a sample from your skin. Your provider may take the sample by swabbing or scraping your skin or removing a small piece of skin (biopsy). Sometimes providers use other tests, such as blood tests.

A wound may be infected with staph bacteria if it: is red, hot, swollen and painful. leaks pus or liquid which may be honey coloured and crusty. heals slower than usual.

If an infection such as blood poisoning (septicemia) triggered your condition, you may develop a sepsis rash on your skin. The rash makes your skin appear red and discolored.

What does a fungal rash look like? A fungal skin infection often looks bright red and can spread across a large area. A fungal skin rash may also have characteristics including: Color more intense at the border.

Skin infections caused by viruses usually result in red welts or blisters that can be itchy and/or painful. Meanwhile, fungal infections usually present with a red, scaly and itchy rash with occasional pustules.

Their presence usually appears as an itchy, pimple-like linear rash. The mites lay eggs which then hatch and spread to other areas of your body, as well as to other people.

Sometimes MRSA can cause an abscess or boil. This can start with a small bump that looks like a pimple or acne, but that quickly turns into a hard, painful red lump filled with pus or a cluster of pus-filled blisters. Not all boils are caused by MRSA bacteria — other kinds may be the culprit.

What does infected dermatitis look like? ›

Signs of an infection

fluid oozing from the skin. a yellow crust on the skin surface or small yellowish-white spots appearing in the eczema. the skin becoming swollen and sore.

Symptoms of a viral infection depend on where you're infected, but some common ones include: Flu-like symptoms: fever, head and body aches, fatigue. Upper respiratory symptoms: sore throat, cough, sneezing. Digestive symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.

For example, even if you have a bacterial sinus infection, you may or may not have a fever, or you may or may not have a sore throat, etc. However, it's still worth knowing the differing symptoms between all these health issues, especially when it comes to fevers.

Disease can occur at any body site and can be caused by the organism itself or by the body's response to its presence. Bacteria are transmitted to humans through air, water, food, or living vectors. The principal modes of transmission of bacterial infection are contact, airborne, droplet, vectors, and vehicular.

What does a fungal rash look like? A fungal skin infection often looks bright red and can spread across a large area. A fungal skin rash may also have characteristics including: Color more intense at the border.

Cellulitis is an infection of the skin that is most often caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus (“staph”) and Streptococcus (“strep”). These bacteria are able to enter the skin through small cracks (fissures), causing sudden redness, swelling, and warmth in an area of the skin.

Melanoma. This is the most serious form of skin cancer, which is more common in people with light skin. It can appear anywhere on the body as a mole that has irregularly shaped edges, asymmetrical shapes, and multiple colors. In People of Color, melanoma often appears in areas that are less exposed to the sun.