HealthInfo Canterbury
Overview of skin infections
Ngā Whakapokenga Kiri
Skin infections are common in people of all ages but some are more common in children. They're caused by a germ such as a bacteria, virus, fungi or parasite.
Many skin infections are mild and easily managed, though some can be severe. They often start when your skin is broken due to something like a minor bite, graze, sting or burn. Skin conditions such as psoriasis, atopic eczema and dermatitis can also lead to broken skin.
There are four main types of skin infection:
Bacterial
Common bacterial skin infections are cellulitis, impetigo, Staphylococcus and MRSA.
Viral
Viral skin infections include chickenpox, measles, hand, foot and mouth disease, shingles and molluscum contagiosum.
Fungal
Fungal skin infections are very common and generally mild. The most common one is tinea, which usually occurs on your feet (particularly between your toes), upper thigh and groin. Tinea between your toes is also called athlete’s foot. Other fungal skin infections include onychomycosis (a fungal nail infection) and ringworm.
A common fungus called candida, also called thrush, can affect your mouth, where it’s called oral thrush. Women can get vaginal thrush.
Parasitic
Parasitic skin infections are a result of a parasite on your body such as lice, bedbugs and scabies.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- DermNet NZ:
- Athlete's Foot
Information about what causes athlete's foot and how to treat it.
- Fungal nail infections (onychomycosis)
Information about what causes fungal nail infections and how to treat them.
- Tinea
These are pages explaining the different places tinea can occur and the different names it has.
- Athlete's Foot
- Ministry of Health – Looking after your child's skin and treating skin infections
A 24-page booklet about how to keep children's skin healthy, and how to treat common childhood skin infections.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed June 2018. Last updated July 2021.
SourcesReview key: HISNI-49791
