Final answer:
It is true that impetigo is a contagious skin disease caused by Staphylococcus aureus and can also be caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, either alone or in co-infection. Symptoms include vesicles, pustules, and sometimes larger bullae. Treatment generally involves antibiotics and prevention focuses on hygiene and not sharing personal items.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is true that impetigo is a skin disease caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Beyond that, impetigo can also be caused by Streptococcus pyogenes alone, or a co-infection of both S. aureus and S. pyogenes. This highly contagious skin infection is especially common in children and often found around the mouth and nose. Symptoms include the formation of vesicles, pustules, and bullae. Impetigo can appear in nonbullous or bullous forms, with the nonbullous variant exhibiting yellowish encrusted sores and the bullous type leading to larger, bullae that rupture and create crusted lesions.
Topical or oral antibiotics are generally effective treatments for impetigo. However, cases caused by S. pyogenes can sometimes lead to acute glomerulonephritis (AGN), a severe inflammation. Preventative measures include not sharing towels or clothing and maintaining good hygiene to prevent the spread of these bacteria which are known to cause various skin infections, including impetigo, through breaks in the skin.