Don't scratch the itch

Scratching mosquito bites can lead to secondary infection if you break the skin or reopen the bite. Dirt from under your nails is the culprit here, and can lead to staph, strep and other bacterial infections.Mosquito bites itch due to inflammation. Rather than relieving the itching, scratching an already inflamed area increases inflammation. This makes the area even itchier. Scratching may also increase the risk of infection if it breaks the skin.