Staph skin infections

A staph skin infection is caused by a type of bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus or ‘staph’.

Many people carry a lot of different types of staph bacteria on the surface of their skin or in their nose, and in most cases these don't cause any problems.

However, if your skin is broken (eg, because of a cut or a skin condition such as eczema), the bacteria can get in and cause skin infections such as boils and abscesses, school sores (impetigo) or cellulitis. Staph can spread from person to person or from one part of your or your tamariki’s body to another.

Staph infections may look like a red lump, big pimples, open sores, crusts or blisters, or sore red eyelids/eyes. 

Anyone can get a staph infection, but they’re most often seen in young children and in certain groups such as Pacific Peoples, Māori and healthcare workers.

There are things you can do to help stop the spread of staph skin infections, such as thorough handwashing and cleaning and covering wounds. 

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Most people have staph bacteria on their skin or in their nose some of the time, but it usually doesn’t cause any problems.

However, you or your child can get a staph skin infection if your skin has a cut, scrape, insect bite or other open wound and:

• you touch a surface that has the bacteria on it
• you live with, or have contact with, an infected person and share things such as bed linen, towels or clothes
• you transfer the infection from one part of your body to another via dirty hands or fingernails.

The staph bacteria can get into an open wound and cause skin infections such as:

• Boils and abscesses: Boils are the most common type of staph infection. A boil is a tender red lump on your skin caused by an infection of a hair root or sweat pore. The skin over the infected area usually becomes red and swollen. Boils occur most often under your arms or around your groin or buttocks. Large boils can form an abscess, which is the build-up of pus under your skin.
• School sores (impetigo): This is a common and contagious skin infection that causes blisters or sores. These can burst and form yellowish, crusty patches, mainly around the nose and mouth of your child. 
• Cellulitis: This is an infection of the deeper layers of skin that causes skin redness and swelling on the surface of your skin. Sores or areas of oozing discharge may develop too. 

Do you or your tamariki have scrapes, insect bites or other wounds that are red, warm or sore?

Staph skin infections may look like:

• a painful red lump or bump on the skin
• skin sores that look like big pimples
• hot, red and swollen skin
• open sores, crusts or blisters
• sore red eyelids or eyes – there may be a stye.

If you or your child has eczema, an affected area of skin may become infected with staph. Staph skin infections may also smell bad. 

Anyone can develop a staph skin infection, but some people are more likely to get them:

• Children and infants may develop an infection known as school sores or impetigo when they start attending daycare, preschool or school
• People with certain chronic conditions such as eczema or poorly controlled diabetes
• Pacific Peoples and Māori are more likely to get more serious staph infections
• People with a weakened immune system, such as those with HIV/AIDS or those taking medicines that suppress their immune systems
• People who regularly have medical equipment entering their body, such as during kidney dialysis or when using catheters, feeding or breathing tubes
• People who have been in hospital for a long time, due to their contact with healthcare workers and closeness to other sick people.
• People living in overcrowded or poor housing conditions. 

If you think you or your child has a skin infection, go to your healthcare provider. This is very important if your child has a fever (high temperature), or if you notice a sore or red area that:

• is larger than a 10-cent coin
• is red, swollen and getting bigger
• has pus (yellow liquid)
• has red streaks coming from it
• is not getting better after 2 days
• is anywhere near their eyes, or around a joint such as a knee or elbow.

A staph skin infection is often diagnosed based on your symptoms and what the area of skin looks like. If needed, the diagnosis can be confirmed by laboratory testing of a swab from the infection site or a blood culture test. 

If you or your child have a small staph skin infection, such as a boil or a stye, here are some things you can do at home to treat it and prevent it from spreading to other parts of your body.

• Soak the infected area in warm water or put warm moist washcloths on it for 20 minutes each day. Dry it with a clean towel. Only use each cloth or towel once and then wash it in soap and hot water and dry it fully.
• You can take pain relievers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen if needed. Use our paracetamol dose calculator to find out the right dose of paracetamol to give your child.
• Cover the skin with a clean dressing or plaster. 
• See your health care provider for further treatment if it’s not settling.
• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds and dry them well before and after you clean the affected area. 
• Make sure your child doesn’t scratch or touch the infected area and doesn’t let anyone else touch it.
• If you get a staph infection on a skin area that is usually shaved, stop shaving until the infection clears up.

Read more about self-care you can do for a stye or for impetigo (school sores). 

Recurrent staph skin infections

If your child has staph skin infections over and over again your healthcare provider may also tell you to:

• bathe your child with an antiseptic
• put antibiotic ointment on the inside of your child’s nose, and/or
• give your child a bleach bath(external link).

These treatments can help treat your child's infection and lower the amount of staph bacteria on your child’s skin to reduce the chance of getting a staph infection again. Read more about recurring staph skin infections.

Most small staph infections can be treated at home – see the self-care section below. Sometimes your healthcare provider may recommend a topical antiseptic  medicine. 

In other cases, your healthcare provider may prescribe an oral antibiotic for you or your child’s infection. It’s important to take the antibiotic as directed and finish the full course even if the infection gets better after a few days.

If the infection is spreading, is large or in important areas such as a joint or around the eye your health care provider may organise:

• further assessment  (such as review by a doctor that specialises in bones and joints), or
• treatment such as antibiotics delivered into the blood stream. 

If you have an abscess your healthcare provider may drain the infection, either in the community or in the hospital if the infection is large or difficult to access. Small abscesses or boils may just need to be drained without further antibiotics. If you have a weakened immune system or diabetes it's best to have your infection reviewed by your healthcare provider.

Some staph infections such as Methacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are difficult to treat as the bacteria have become resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Find out more about infections that have antibiotic resistance issues.

See your healthcare provider again if you're following their instructions, but:

• the infection gets worse
• the infection doesn’t get better
• you or your child get another infection.

You should also see your healthcare provider if skin infections seem to be passing from one family member to another, or if two or more people in your household have skin infections at the same time.

Recurrent staph infections are more common if you have broken skin from other skin conditions such as eczema and dermatitis. Treating the underlying skin condition is the best way to prevent recurrent staph infections.

There are other things you can do to prevent recurrent staph infections, such as:

• keeping your skin healthy and intact
• avoiding dry skin
• taking care with your personal hygiene.
  
  

For more detailed information about preventing repeat staph skin infections, see how to stop recurrent staph infections.