Streptococcus pyogenes secondary impetigo due to loofah sponge use

• DOI: 10.1016/j.idcr.2022.e01395
• Publication Date: 2022-01-10T10:13:22Z
• Authors: Philip W. Lam; Adrienne K. Chan; N.Y Elizabeth Chau; Shawn T. Clark; Robert A. Kozak
• Keywords: Impetigo; Streptococcus Pyogenes; Sponge; Microtrauma; Erysipelas

Loofah sponges have been implicated in skin and soft tissue infections due to their ability harbor bacteria cause microtrauma the skin. In this case report, we describe a of impetigo cellulitis Streptococcus pyogenes complicated by secondary spread through loofah sponge use. The same organism was cultured from infected body sites sponge, comparative genomic analysis confirmed that isolates were identical.