
Bacteria, like other germs can infect various parts of the body including the skin, lungs, bone, brain and blood stream.
Incidence: Common
○ More than 200,000 US cases per year
○ Treatable by a medical professional
○ Requires a medical diagnosis
○ Lab tests (culture) may be required
○ Medium-term: resolves within 1-2
weeks
Symptoms depend on the area infected. In dermatology, we deal with bacterial infections that are primarily limited to the skin or mucous membranes. Cellulitis and impetigo are the two most common and well known bacterial infections. The other place we see these infections occasionally is as a secondary infection in a wound, ulcer or post surgery.