Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat It IsCausesSymptomsComplicationsDiagnosisTreatmentPreventionWhen to Seek Care
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What It Is
Causes
Symptoms
Complications
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
When to Seek Care
Cellulitisis a bacterial infection of the skin that can develop from a mosquito or other bug bite. Scratching aninsect bitebreaks the skin, which allowsStreptococcus(staph),Staphylococcus aureus(strep), or other bacteria to get into the dermis of the skin.
Signs of cellulitis include swelling and flu-like symptoms. People with pre-existing conditions are at greater risk for developing cellulitis and complications
However, cellulitis can be prevented and easily treated with at-home care and prescription antibiotics.
Janosa Kerekes / Getty Images
What Is Cellulitis?
Cellulitis is a very common bacterial infection affecting more than 14 million Americans each year.
Bacteria normally live on the surface of the skin, but if you have a cut or tear in your skin, the bacteria can travel under the top layer to the dermis, the middle layer of skin, between theepidermisand subcutaneous tissue.
Once in the dermis, it can cause inflammation and an infection. This is more common among people at risk for infections, including those with health issues such as:
How Infected Mosquito Bites Cause Cellulitis
Bug bites also put you at risk for cellulitis because the itch of bites leads to scratching that breaks open the skin, letting in strep, staph, or other types of bacteria.
Symptoms of Cellulitis
If an infected insect bite leads to cellulitis, you’ll notice symptoms possibly within a few days of being bitten.
In the beginning, cellulitis may look unremarkable. The infection often starts with slight discoloration of the skin, which darkens as the infection progresses.
Additional symptoms of cellulitis will eventually develop. These include:
Cellulitis can worsen quickly over a short period of time. The affected skin area may grow larger within several hours or days. Left untreated, you can develop serious complications.
Sepsis, also known as blood poisoning, is a potentially life-threatening condition that can occur when cellulitis or another type of infection moves into the bloodstream. Signs of that sepsis has developed from cellulitis include:
In rare cases, cellulitis can lead tonecrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection that causes soft tissue to die. This “flesh-eating” infection can be fatal if it’s not treated quickly.
Although the complications of cellulitis are rare, they can be very serious. It’s best not to delay care. Call your healthcare provider immediately if you suspect cellulitis from a bug bite.
You provide will also rule out other types of skin infections, including:
How to Treat Cellulitis From a Bug Bite
Cellulitis will not go away on its own. It must be treated withantibiotics. These are medicines that kill bacteria, including those that cause cellulitis. Most people will take oral antibiotics for 10 days, but they typically will begin to feel better after a day or two.
As your infection clears up, you’ll notice that the area becomes less swollen, sensitive, and red. Still, it’s important to finish your entire prescribed course of antibiotics, even if the infection disappears entirely.
If you have a severe infection or one that has spread beyond your dermis, your healthcare provider might order intravenous antibiotics. These are given via an IV right into your vein, and start fighting the infection sooner.
Is Cellulitis Contagious?Cellulitis isnot contagious.In theory, though, it could be passed if pus from someone with cellulitis found its way into a cut on another person, but this would be very unlikely.
Is Cellulitis Contagious?
Cellulitis isnot contagious.In theory, though, it could be passed if pus from someone with cellulitis found its way into a cut on another person, but this would be very unlikely.
Cellulitis is common and there’s no way to prevent it entirely. However, there are ways to reduce your risk:
Scratching bug bites leads to more openings in the skin, and may increase your risk for cellulitis. Instead, find otherways to stop itching, like using a cold compress.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Anytime an insect bite or other minor skin irritation does not feel better within a few days or starts to show signs of an infection, you should see a healthcare provider.
While cellulitis can cause complications, when it’s treated in the early stages it usually clears up quickly and without problems.
Signs that an insect bite is infected include:
Summary
Cellulitis is a common infection of the dermis, the middle layer of skin. It happens when a cut or other opening in the skin allows bacteria to reach the dermis. Sometimes, cellulitis can occur after a bug bite, bringing on symptoms including redness, pain, fever, and chills. Cellulitis must be treated with antibiotics, so you should see your healthcare provider if you suspect that you have cellulitis.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Yale Medicine.Cellulitis.Lovecchio A, Bazzacco G, Di Bella S, Di Meo N, Luzzati R.Uncommon lymphocutaneous cellulitis after insect bite: A case report of primary cutaneous nocardiosis and literature review.Infez Med. 2022;30(2):285-292. Published 2022 Jun 1. doi:10.53854/liim-3002-15Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cellulitis: Everything you need to know.Yale Medicine.Cellulitis.Johns Hopkins.Cellulitis.Sepsis Alliance.Sepsis and cellulitis.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Necrotizing fasciitis.The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Skeeter syndrome defined.Maxwell-Scott H, Kandil H.Diagnosis and management of cellulitis and erysipelas.Br J Hosp Med (Lond).2015 Aug;76(8):C114-7. doi:10.12968/hmed.2015.76.8.C114American Academy of Dermatology Association.Cellulitis: Diagnosis and treatment.National Health Service.Insect bites and stings.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Yale Medicine.Cellulitis.Lovecchio A, Bazzacco G, Di Bella S, Di Meo N, Luzzati R.Uncommon lymphocutaneous cellulitis after insect bite: A case report of primary cutaneous nocardiosis and literature review.Infez Med. 2022;30(2):285-292. Published 2022 Jun 1. doi:10.53854/liim-3002-15Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cellulitis: Everything you need to know.Yale Medicine.Cellulitis.Johns Hopkins.Cellulitis.Sepsis Alliance.Sepsis and cellulitis.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Necrotizing fasciitis.The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Skeeter syndrome defined.Maxwell-Scott H, Kandil H.Diagnosis and management of cellulitis and erysipelas.Br J Hosp Med (Lond).2015 Aug;76(8):C114-7. doi:10.12968/hmed.2015.76.8.C114American Academy of Dermatology Association.Cellulitis: Diagnosis and treatment.National Health Service.Insect bites and stings.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Yale Medicine.Cellulitis.Lovecchio A, Bazzacco G, Di Bella S, Di Meo N, Luzzati R.Uncommon lymphocutaneous cellulitis after insect bite: A case report of primary cutaneous nocardiosis and literature review.Infez Med. 2022;30(2):285-292. Published 2022 Jun 1. doi:10.53854/liim-3002-15Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cellulitis: Everything you need to know.Yale Medicine.Cellulitis.Johns Hopkins.Cellulitis.Sepsis Alliance.Sepsis and cellulitis.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Necrotizing fasciitis.The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Skeeter syndrome defined.Maxwell-Scott H, Kandil H.Diagnosis and management of cellulitis and erysipelas.Br J Hosp Med (Lond).2015 Aug;76(8):C114-7. doi:10.12968/hmed.2015.76.8.C114American Academy of Dermatology Association.Cellulitis: Diagnosis and treatment.National Health Service.Insect bites and stings.
Yale Medicine.Cellulitis.
Lovecchio A, Bazzacco G, Di Bella S, Di Meo N, Luzzati R.Uncommon lymphocutaneous cellulitis after insect bite: A case report of primary cutaneous nocardiosis and literature review.Infez Med. 2022;30(2):285-292. Published 2022 Jun 1. doi:10.53854/liim-3002-15
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cellulitis: Everything you need to know.
Johns Hopkins.Cellulitis.
Sepsis Alliance.Sepsis and cellulitis.
National Organization for Rare Disorders.Necrotizing fasciitis.
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Skeeter syndrome defined.
Maxwell-Scott H, Kandil H.Diagnosis and management of cellulitis and erysipelas.Br J Hosp Med (Lond).2015 Aug;76(8):C114-7. doi:10.12968/hmed.2015.76.8.C114
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Cellulitis: Diagnosis and treatment.
National Health Service.Insect bites and stings.
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