Which symptoms are commonly associated with cellulitis?

Cellulitis is a common and potentially serious bacterial skin infection that typically presents with specific symptoms. Fever, chills, and muscle aches are hallmark indicators of systemic infection associated with cellulitis. When the skin is infected, the body responds with an immune reaction that can lead to these systemic symptoms as it attempts to fight off the bacterial pathogens.

Fever and chills suggest an inflammatory response, signaling that the body is deploying additional resources to combat the infection, while muscle aches often accompany such systemic responses. These symptoms can help differentiate cellulitis from other skin conditions that may present with different local symptoms.

The other symptoms mentioned in the response options do not indicate cellulitis. Warts and rashes, for example, are more indicative of viral or dermatological conditions rather than a bacterial infection. Pustules and papules are usually associated with conditions like acne or folliculitis, and an infection of hair follicles, while it can be a separate issue, is not the broad systemic concern that cellulitis represents. Therefore, the specific combination of fever, chills, and muscle aches effectively indicates an infection like cellulitis.