Verruca's not catching????

[smellymelly]

Ds1 was sent home from school yesterday with a letter saying that verrucas are not catching and that if a child has one they do not have to wear a verruca sock! Should I be concerned, I have always thought they could be caught in wet environments like changing rooms etc. He doesn't have one, but I don't want him to get one.

I got one last summer for the first time ever, (I'm in my 30's) which has only been got under control recently, and I have always kept it covered. Surely that blows the theory that either you are suseptible (?) or not, out of the window, as I have never had one before?

[SoupDragon]

They must be catching - how else do you catch one?

[smellymelly]

bump

[Iklboo]

Of course they're catching, they're caused by a virus! This is from a health page:-

Veruccas are simply warts on the sole of the feet, caused by a virus that has invaded the skin and caused the cells to multiply rapidly and form raised lumps. The body cannot kill off the virus and so instead, walls off these lumps, which are highly contagious.

What next? The school saying measles isn't catching - or the flu?

[crunchie]

SM bear in mind the new lotions for Verrucas create a waterproof layer which prevents infecting others. My dd has a verruca at the mo and we have been using Bazucca and it seems to be working (slowly)

[Prettybird]

My dad (doctor) always told me that they were not that infectious and not to worry about trying to protect my scappy feet from others (I had a whole wee crop of verrucae for aover 10 years). From what I understand, they are most infectious before you actually show signs of the verruca, and that once you can see it, is is highly unlikley to shed cells and so infect others.

I'm not a doctor though, so don't quote me on that.

Here is an answer on the BBC web site from someone who is a doctor, which might explain your school's attitidue (the opposite of the questioner's school! )

[smellymelly]

mmmm. I'm not convinced, sorry.

[Prettybird]

Also found |link{http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/000885.htm\Warts are an infectious disease of low infectivity caused by a virus.}

[Prettybird]

Opops - try again Warts are an infectious disease of low infectivity caused by a virus.

[Prettybird]

Here is the NHS Guidance for GPs

[smellymelly]

The NHS guidance link, says they are caught in communual changing areas etc, on the link you gave, where the skin may be macerated, for as long as the wart is present.

I have done a search, and all the sites say they are infectious.

I will be speaking to my school again, me thinks!

[smellymelly]

I hate to say it, but it is probably someone who may have thought the same as you, that they may not be catching, who gave me the damn thing, that took me nearly a year to get rid of!