What are the symptoms of a staph infection?

The symptoms of a staph infection on the skin include swelling, tenderness and redness, according to WebMD. Sometimes staph infections begin with an open sore, but other times there is not break in the skin.

Staph infections are treated with antibiotics, according to WebMD. Penicillin used to be the most common antibiotic prescribed for staph infections, but now many of the bacteria that cause staph infections are penicillin resistant. Therefore, doctors must use stronger antibiotics to treat staph infections. In some patients, a staph infection may deepen in the skin and infect muscles. If this occurs, surgery may be needed to clean the area of bacteria.