Not all rashes are contagious. For instance, eczema, food allergies, medication dermatitis and insect bites are generally not passed on to another person. However, there are certain rashes that can be spread including scabies mites rashes, fungal rashes, fever blisters and chicken pox. In addition, certain rashes can be spread to another part of your own body. This is why scratching a rash is discouraged. Of course scratching a rash can also lead to bacterial infections as well.

If you have a child in school, teach him or her to not ever touch someone’s sore, blister or rash. Kids enjoy showing something odd on their bodies to other kids. But this is not something that is a good idea to touch. A cold sore virus, fungal rash or pox can be caught by touching a blister in this manner. Kids are fearless often and interested in oddities. Teach them to avoid touching someone’s sore, bruise, cut, pimple or red skin patch.

Certain types of rashes, once treated are no longer contagious. For instance, after applying the perscription cream for scabies someone can return to school or work after 24 hours. Other rashes require healing from an infection or virus before returning to one’s place of employment or school. Good hygiene is important to avoid spreading or catching a rash. It is tempting to scratch one’s rash and this not only can cause certain rashes to spread to other people, but may also cause another eruption somewhere else on your body. Scabies can be spread to other parts of your body and herpes simplex virus 1 also can cause a breakout elsewhere on the body via touch or scratching.

Most school systems will send out a note when there is a problem of a communicable disease, but this is not always the case. Also people may be contagious before having their diagnosis.  Also due to assuming that one’s rash is just a simple mosquito bite, a rash may be ignored for a week before consulting a physician.