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Complications

By Mayo Clinic staff

This reddened skin or rash may signal a deeper, more serious infection of the inner layers of skin. Once below your skin, the bacteria can spread rapidly, entering your lymph nodes and your bloodstream and spreading throughout your body.

In rare cases, the infection can spread to the deep layer of tissue called the fascial lining. Flesh-eating strep, also called necrotizing fasciitis, is an example of a deep-layer infection. It represents an extreme emergency.

DS00450

Jan. 15, 2008

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