Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS) is a disease caused by a type of bacteria in which large sheets of skin may peel away. It usually affects children under 5 (especially infants). Epidemics can occur in newborn nurseries when staff in those nurseries accidentally pass the causative bacteria between patients, but it also can strike others with weakened immune systems. This may include those with kidney disease, people undergoing cancer chemotherapy, organ transplant patients, and people with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

SSSS is caused by a type of bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus that produces a kind of chemical poison. While the bacteria itself doesn't spread throughout the body, it affects the skin by sending this toxin through the bloodstream.

SSSS begins with a small area of infection. In newborns, this may appear as a crusted area around the navel or the diaper area. In...