Impetigo - can a child be a carrier but not ever have had it?

[BernieBear]

A family member has very bad impetigo and is convinced my ds (4) has given it to her. He has never had it and certainly does not have any signs of having it at the moment.

She still seems convinced that he is a "carrier". Does anyone know if this is possible? I am not at all convinced that he has passed it on, but she seems to think that as he has started school this year it is him.

Help, before this turns into a formal family feud!

(Also placed this in General Health)

Both my kids have had impetigo. I have never heard of someone being a carrier having never had it themselves.

I've never heard of this either. DD and DS both had what the doc thinks was impetigo just after dd started school last year.

Does the NHS website have more info? Or do a google search under impetigo/carrier?

My eldest DD got it first...she then passed it on to her younger sister. Yes it is highly contagious - you must use separate towels, face cloths etc but passing it on when you've not got it yourself? Bizarre.

From a quick search, it does seem that there can be asymptomatic carriers of the bacteria. But why your relative would automatically assume that your ds is one, I'm not sure.

It is only contact with the open sores which passes impetigo on. Yes, it's very infectious - but you have to touch it to catch it.

More info

Is your relative simply 'presuming' he's a carrier just because he's recently started school? If so god help you if someone gets a cold, sickness bug, head lice etc etc...cos he'll get the blame for everything!!

Thank you very much for your replies. I have found the whole thing somewhat suspicious (and very hurtful), certainly as she does work in close contact with the general public and could have caught it anywhere. We are "clean", wash hands regularly etc.as is anyone whether they have impetigo or not, but maybe not up to the sterile standard that she likes (bleach is at the top of the shopping list - if you know what I mean!)

Can't wait for the head lice .......

Thank you, you have made me feel .....well, less unclean (Bernie removes bell and stops wailing "unclean")

My DD2 has had this twice in 3 weeks!
I saw GP yesterday and he explained that some people carry the virus in their noses, and thats why chidlren often get it around their faces.
I didnt know this, but might help someone

yes, many of us carry the bacteria that causes impetigo in our noses etc

no-one knows why some people develop it and some don't. This is not the saem as being a "carrier"

it is common in schoolies because they spend a lot of time with their fingers up their nose and then touch their faces afterwards

perhaps you could point that little snippet out to your family!

When my two dd's had a spate of this the gp did a nose swab to see whether they were carrying it up there nose - they did me aswell, even though I hadn't had it for years.