Where infections commonly start

This page tells you about where infections commonly start. Fever can be one of the first symptoms of an infection somewhere in your body. It is a sign that your immune system is trying to fight off the infection. A fever in itself is not usually dangerous, but the infection that causes it can be. It is very important to tell your doctor if you develop a fever so they can treat the infection that is causing it.

An infection can occur anywhere in your body. The most common places are

The mouth and throat
The skin
The lungs
The kidneys and bladder, especially if you have a catheter to drain urine from your bladder
Where a drip or central line goes in (cannula sites and PICC line sites)
Wounds and where wound drains go in
Ulcerating tumours

Other less common places are the