- With Mayo Clinic dermatologist
Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
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Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
Dr. Lawrence Gibson likens bad health information on the Internet to food poisoning.
Consumers, he says, need to be aware and will find reliable information at MayoClinic.com.
Dr. Gibson, a Covington, Ky., native, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1986 and is board certified in dermatology, dermatopathology and immunodermatology. He is a professor of dermatology at Mayo Medical School and a consultant in the Department of Dermatology.
Dr. Gibson has served as the fellowship director for dermatopathology and as chair of the Laboratory Division in the Department of Dermatology. He is especially interested in inflammatory disorders of the skin, including vasculitis, and in lymphoma affecting the skin.
"Electronic information has become a staple in the diet of a health conscious society," he says. "It's important to avoid misinformation and provide a credible source for health information. Using this analogy, it's critical to avoid 'indigestion' or, worse yet, 'food poisoning' by the ingestion of tainted information."
Definition (1)
- Cellulitis infection: Is it contagious?
Risk factors (1)
- Cellulitis: How to treat recurrent episodes
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Question
Cellulitis infection: Is it contagious?
Is cellulitis contagious?
Answer
from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
Although cellulitis isn't directly contagious, you can acquire the germs that cause cellulitis from someone who has it.
Cellulitis is a bacterial infection that occurs in the deeper layers (dermis and subcutaneous tissues) of the skin. Signs and symptoms include:
- Redness, swelling and tenderness
- Warmth of the affected skin
- Fever and chills
- Swollen glands or lymph nodes
Left untreated, the bacterial infection may rapidly turn into a life-threatening condition. For this reason, early diagnosis and treatment of cellulitis is important.
It's possible that you could be exposed to the bacteria that cause cellulitis if you come in direct contact with an infected person, particularly if that person has an open sore. If the bacteria then enter an opening in your skin — such as a through a cut or other wound — you may develop a minor skin infection and could develop cellulitis.
You have an increased risk of developing cellulitis if you:
- Have an injury such as a cut, fracture, burn or scrape
- Have a skin condition such as eczema, athlete's foot or shingles
- Have a weakened immune system, such as from diabetes or HIV/AIDS
- Have a chronic swelling of your arms or legs (lymphedema)
- Use intravenous drugs
Cellulitis: How to treat recurrent episodes
- Cellulitis and erysipelas. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/cellulitisErysipelas/default.htm. Accessed Dec. 9, 2009.
- Baddour LM. Cellulitis and erysipelas. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 12, 2009.
- Eron LJ. In the clinic: Cellulitis and soft tissue infections. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2009;150:1.
- Gibson LE (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 18, 2009.
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