First there is a need to establish that the myth
of touching a frog or toad and getting warts is false.
There aren't many diseases that can be transmitted
from human to animal, or animal to human. A wart is
a small bump on the skin. Someone may have anywhere
from one small wart, to many larger warts. The scientific
name for the common
wart is Verruca vulgaris.
Warts are caused by the HPV virus (human papillomavirus). There are about 80 different strains of the warts virus, which affect different areas of a person. Many people young, and old may have the wart virus but will never actually see a wart in their lifetime, or the wart may come up years later at old age.
What does a wart look like?
Warts are basically a small bump, although some can be larger. Warts are usually referred to as a benign tumor. This means they will not do harm to the carrier. Warts are a very common occurrence and nothing to be worried about or afraid of. At most, a wart can be unappealing to the person who has them, but they are not able to become cancerous. Warts can vary in color and also shape, some warts like those on the neck can be flat, others can rise up off the skin in circular bumps. Warts are common on the hands and feet and can be thickened looking pink, white or yellowish in hue.
Who gets warts and why?
In young children, warts are commonly seen and will disappear in time, anywhere from 6 months to a few years time. Pre-teens and adolescents are the more likely candidates for having a wart show up on the body. Warts are contagious; they can be contracted through touch, and can even be transmitted through showers in public areas. Touching a towel from another person can lead you to develop warts. Each person’s immune system acts differently to things, as a family may have a cold, one member may be resilient to that cold virus even though they never had that cold before. Warts work the same way as any other common disease.
It is most likely you will contract a wart from a person if you have an open wound and the wart comes in contact or something a HPV virus infected person used comes in contact with your sore. The most likely way anyone will see warts is one that has been transmitted through one’s self. The virus can remain dormant for months to years. It may escape from a cell one day and you will get a wart. Age as well as immune deficiency diseases may heighten the risk of getting warts as the body is not as strong.
Resources
* www.emedicinehealth.com
* www.mayoclinic.com
