Frogs and Warts

Frogs and Warts

Some say that you get warts from touching frogs and toads.
In the Philippines, it is widely believed that the urine of frogs causes the growth of wartsYou get warts from human viruses, not from frogs and toads!
Frogs have slimy skin to stay moist when it is dry, and toads have bumpy skin to help camouflage them in their habitat. Some frogs and toads have paratoidal glands which secrete poisons as protection which can cause skin irritations and may be poisonous to some species of animals, but warts have nothing at all to do with the frogs themselves!

A wart is a skin growth that occurs in response to a viral infection. It is caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV),and enters the skin through direct (i.e. skin to skin, body fluids) and indirect contact (frequent immersion of hands in water, meat handling).
.Warts are contagious. In fact 20% of children who go to school have this condition. Plantar warts (warts on the feet) are more common in older children and adults. Children and teenagers are usually affected by warts because their immune system is not yet fully developed and it does not recognize or fight the wart virus. Fortunately, this changes as children age.