Ear infection/staph infection -- contagious?

[Anonymous]

We are traveling to visit family, and the child there (same age as mine)
1) has her 3rd bad ear infection (diagnosed a few days ago with 105 degree fever and bright red ears, now on strong antibiotics)
2) is recovering from a staph infection a few months ago, and their ped told them it takes a year for the staph to fully clear her body.

I feel silly calling my own ped about this, but maybe I will. My DC has never had an ear infection or staph infection (just the usual colds) and I don't know if these things are contagious or I should be concerned or what...

Any thoughts?

[Anonymous]

OP adding -- The kids are 1.5, if that matters.

[Anonymous]

What kind of staph infection???

[Anonymous]

OP again: I don't know... and I know there are lots of different kinds. She was quite sick, but I don't know the details. I am hesitant to call and get more information from the parents, because that would feel rude. (I know someone did that to my mom when my brother had been sick as a child, and it made her furious...) But I guess I could if it makes a big difference...

[Anonymous]

I can only comment on the ear infection (as a mom who has a child that got chronic ear infections before tubes).

Ear infections themselves are not contagious. It is the cold or virus that leads to the ear infection that is contagious. If my son got the slightest congestion then the fluid would build in his ears. This is because the anatomy of his ear was such that they do not drain like they are supposed to.