What are warts?

Warts are tissue growths caused by different types of human papillomavirus (HPV). The most familiar are the common warts (often on the skin of the hands), anogenital warts (on the genitalia, anus, vagina, and cervix), and plantar warts (on the feet). Some members of this group of viruses can cause cancer in deeper tissues (cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, anus, back of the throat, base of the tongue, and tonsils).

What are the signs or symptoms?

Dome-shaped growth on the skin that may become a raised area with small bumps within it.
Usually painless but may be painful when they occur on the feet.
Often found on the hands and around or under fingernails.
Black dots may appear in the warts.

What are the incubation and contagious periods?

Incubation period: Unknown but estimated to range from 3 months to several years
Contagious period: Unknown but probably at least as long as the wart is present

How are they spread?

Person to person through close contact

How do you control them?

Perform hand hygiene after touching the warts.
Do not share articles in contact with the warts of an infected child or educator.
Do not scratch warts. Scratching could cause bacterial infection or spread of virus to other sites.
The body may make antibodies to the virus so that, over time, the wart spontaneously resolves.
Tissue-destructive treatments, such as medicated tape and liquid nitrogen, may activate the body's immune response to the virus that causes the wart and hasten resolution of the warts. However, treated warts may return and often require re-treatment.
Although skin warts are caused by a viral infection, they are only mildly contagious. In children, the virus causing the wart most often spreads to other areas of the affected child's body rather than to other children. Warts do not need to be covered like shingles or other oozing sores. Treatment is a personal choice and is not required for infection control in an educational setting.

Warts on a child's finger

GARY WILLIAMS, MD

Child's fingers with a focus on the pointer and middle fingers with warts protruding from the side of the pointer finger. The warts are dome-shaped and clustered together with 2 main growths and 2 smaller growths, all light pink and flesh-colored.

What are the roles of the educator and the family?

Do not let children pick at their warts because this may cause an opening in the skin, which may lead to bacterial infection.

Exclude from educational setting?

No.

Comments

Many people have warts at some time in their lives.
Children who are immunocompromised, including those with HIV infection, may have more severe and widespread wart lesions.
Genital warts and cervical cancer are caused by different HPVs than the ones that cause skin warts. The HPV vaccine protects against HPVs that cause most cases of cervical cancer and genital warts. Refer to the childhood and adult immunization schedules at www.aap.org/immunizationschedule and https://www.aafp.org/family-physician/patient-care/prevention-wellness/immunizations-vaccines/immunization-schedules.html to find out the recommended age-groups for vaccinations.

Warts (Human Papillomavirus)—Child Care and Schools