How long does a staph infection last?

Quickly if treated: If it is a skin staph infection, with appropriate topical and /or systemic antibiotics the infection will typically clear within 7-14 days.

Depends where it is: What staph infection? Staph can cause infections virtually anywhere in your body. Some can kill you within 24 hours. If it's a staph skin infection, it can stay with you indefinitely until it's treated. If you keep getting staph infections after they've been treated, go away, then come back, you probably have staph germs lurking inside your nose. Have your nostrils cultured for staph.