what causes warts

Warts are small lumps that develop on the skin of the hands and feet, and they are caused by an infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV) . There are more than 100 different strains of HPV, and different strains are responsible for different types of warts. The virus causes an excess amount of keratin, a hard protein, to develop in the top skin layer (epidermis), which produces the rough, hard texture of a wart. Warts are not considered very contagious, but they can be caught by close skin-to-skin contact or indirectly from contaminated objects or surfaces. Some strains of HPV are acquired through sexual contact, but most forms are spread by casual skin contact or through shared objects, such as towels or washcloths. Children and young adults are more likely to get warts than adults because their immune systems haven’t developed the antibodies to fight strains of HPV that cause warts. Eventually, though, the body will recognize the warts and do something about it.