Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Impetigo
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.
It sits within Infections and Skin, Hair and Nails.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Impetigo
30 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Comparative Study of Adherence to Antibiotic Therapy Among Pediatric Patients: Hospital Emergency Department vs. Primary Care CenterUniversity Hospital, Montpellier
- Perspectives on Antibiotics and Tracking Symptoms in ChildrenMurdoch Childrens Research Institute
Research already completed
- Evaluating Legit.Health Plus Support for Improving Diagnosis of Generalized Pustular Psoriasis and Other Skin Conditions Among Primary Care Physicians and DermatologistsAI Labs Group S.L
- Decreasing Antibiotic Duration for Skin and Soft Tissue Infection Using Behavioral Economics in Primary CareNationwide Children's Hospital
- The Pharmacokinetics of 2% TD1414 Cream in Adults With Secondarily Infected Traumatic Lesions (SITL) or ImpetigoLEO Pharma
- Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of TD1414 2% Cream in Impetigo and Secondarily Infected Traumatic Lesions (SITL)LEO Pharma
- Efficacy and Safety of Ozenoxacin 1% Cream Versus Placebo in the Treatment of Patients With ImpetigoFerrer Internacional S.A.
- Safety and Efficacy of Mupirocin Gel in Children With ImpetigoReig Jofre Group
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- About ImpetigoCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- ImpetigoNemours Foundation
- ImpetigoVisualDX
- Impetigo: What to Know about This Common Skin Infection in ChildrenAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
Treatments and Therapies
- Impetigo: Tips for Treatment and PreventionAmerican Osteopathic Association
Related Issues
- Group A Streptococcal InfectionsNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
- Staph InfectionsNemours Foundation
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Impetigo. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Impetigo, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.