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Can You Catch Molluscum From A Toilet Seat?

People often perceive molluscum contagiosum as a big problem whenever their doctors say about it for the first time. Reason for this is that the name sounds so much dramatic as similar to any Harry Potter spell. However, actually it is not a serious problem. Instead, for most of the individuals, molluscum contagiosum takes place as minor rash on the skin and it goes away automatically after sometime. Furthermore, the rash appears as small growths or bumps similar to warts, also referred as mollusca, which are often of white, pink and skin color. Besides this, bumps are of pearly, shiny or smooth looks with an indented center.

Can You Catch Molluscum From A Toilet Seat?

Can You Catch Molluscum From A Toilet Seat?

A majority of youngsters often ask a common question whether they can have molluscum infection from any toilet seat. However, to understand this in well manner, we will discuss about the virus to cause the infection and the way, in which it takes place and/or spreads in individuals.

Virus Responsible to Cause the Infection

Molluscum contagiosum infection takes place from the virus named molluscum contagiosum virus and it belongs to the family of poxvirus. It is a contagious virus and hence spreads via direct contact. In addition, the virus spreads easily among children. However, it may even spread due to sexual contact and may take place among people with compromised type of immune systems. Even the problem spreads on a particular individual from rubbing and scratching.

Ways, in which the virus spreads in individuals:

Touching The Skin Lesions Of An Infection Person. You may get the skin disorder of molluscum contagiosum by touching the skin lesions of an infected person.

During Normal Play Among Children. Kids and children may easily transmit the respective virus during their normal play with their playmates.

Sexual Contacts. On the other side, if we talk about adult individuals and teens, they get it via sexual contacts.

Contact Sports. The infection spreads at the time of playing any contact sports, especially the ones, which involve touching bare skin, like football and wrestling.

Touching/Using Contaminated Items

Molluscum virus may survive easily on various surfaces often touched by the skin of an infected person. Because of this, you may contact with the virus by sharing clothes, handling towels, toys and infected toilet seats.

Sharing of sports equipment touched by an individual’s bare skin causes the transfer of infected virus. This is because; virus remains on the transmitted equipment to any other individual. These include wrestling mats, baseball gloves and helmets used for football.

Alternatively, if you use toilet seats, sinks and washbasins after an infected individual used it, you may likely suffer from the Molluscum disease.

Spreading Of Infection To Other Body Parts. Other than this, if you suffer from the problem of molluscum contagiosum, you may spread the respective infection in different parts of your body. Especially, the virus transfers between different body parts by scratching, touching or shaving any bump and later on, touching any other part of the body.

People Prone To Molluscum Disease

As a contagious type of skin disorder, Molluscum disease passes easily among individuals. However, the following categories of teens are relatively more prone towards the infection-

  • Wrestlers, boxers and other athletes, who have direct skin contact with one another
  • Athletes sharing their exercise or gym equipments
  • People with weak immune systems because of cancer treatment, HIV or usage of steroid for a long time

Conclusion

To conclude, we should say that Molluscum disease may even spread from sharing toilet seats, washrooms and basins or sinks with any infected person/persons.

References:

  1. Mayo Clinic – Molluscum contagiosum: Symptoms & Causes Link: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/molluscum-contagiosum/symptoms-causes/syc-20375226

  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Molluscum Contagiosum: Treatment and Prevention Link: https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/molluscum-contagiosum/treatment.html

  3. DermNet NZ – Molluscum contagiosum Link: https://dermnetnz.org/topics/molluscum-contagiosum/

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Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:August 30, 2023

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