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A member asked:

If you scraped off the first layer of skin off and did not bleed can any viruses or bacteria enter into the body?

A doctor has provided 1 answer

Yes: It is impossible to determine with certainty whether you have disrupted the normal barrier to penetrance of organisms. Intact skin and mucous membranes and their substructures are your body's major defense mechanisms. Even conditions like athlete's foot can predispose to secondary bacterial infections under the right circumstances.

Answered 2/21/2013

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