What is a staphylococcus (staph) infection?
Staphylococcus aureus (or ‘staph’) and Group A streptococcus (GAS) are kinds of bacteria which can be found on the skin. These bacterias can sometimes cause skin infections. These bacterias are more commonly found in children than adults. A staph infection is contagious.
For most people, the skin infection will go away with the right treatment. For other people, infections may come back. This is called a recurrent staphylococcal skin infection.
If not treated properly or if left untreated, these skin infections can have severe long-term effects on the body. The more times a patient is untreated or incorrectly treated, the higher the risk of severe long-term effects. This is especially true for children.