Yes, but not very.
This month, I have had a few patients who were particularly concerned about spreading warts to others and themselves. Are warts contagious? Yes, but not nearly as contagious as some may think. In almost 20 years as a Dermatologist, I have never contracted a wart, despite touching hundreds of warts each year. I usually tell patients this to try to reassure them. This article is for those who are not easily convinced and want to know more.
Warts, or verruca, are caused by a virus called Human Papilloma Virus. There are over 100 strains of warts, each with its own preferred areas to infect the body.
How can someone “catch” a wart? Warts are transferred usually from person to person by skin-to-skin contact. The virus enters through breaks or openings in the skin. Mucosal skin, such as the genitalia, is more susceptible and easy for the wart virus to enter the skin.
Can I transfer my wart to other parts of my body? Yes. In my experience, this is the most common method of spread. A person can spread warts by picking, biting, shaving, and areas of skin rubbing. Often, if a patient has a wart on the toe, another wart will grow in the skin that rubs and touches the wart. Warts that occur on adjacent areas of the skin are called “kissing lesions”.
Are there environments that are conducive to warts living? HPV virus prefers warm humid environments. This is why you will often see warnings about not sharing towels and wearing flip-flops at pools and communal showers. Unfortunately, HPV is very resilient and can remain on surfaces for extended periods of time.
What measures should I take in my home to avoid spreading warts? We will explore this in more detail next week. However, the answer is disheartening. HPV can be resistant to traditional cleaners, washing, heat in the dryer, and most other cleaning and disinfecting methods. Therefore, there is little scientific data to support any at-home measures beyond traditional housecleaning and good hygiene. Most sources recommend avoiding sharing towels, clothing, and shoes.
What about shaving and washing my own body? The most common and important recommendation I give is regarding razors. I recommend getting a disposable razor and writing “WART” in Sharpie on it. Use this razor only around your wart. Change this razor frequently, especially during treatment to avoid reinfecting yourself. Similarly, if you are filing down a wart during at-home treatment, use a disposable emery board labeled WART. As a common-sense recommendation, I recommend washing the area with warts last.
How will I know if I am spreading wart to others? The virus is quite resilient and the visible wart on the skin may take months or years to be noticeable to a patient. Therefore, you probably will never know unless it is an immediate family member.
Last week we discussed OTC treatment of warts if you would like to check that out. For more general information about warts, see our prior post as well.
Next week, we will discuss methods of killing warts on surfaces. Get ready to be disappointed. It’s not pretty.
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