Molluscum Contagiosum is an infection caused by a virus of the poxvirus family. Dr. Gerardo Casanova, Founding President of the Mexican Association for the Study of Sexual Transmitted Diseases explains that it is a virus that causes lesions in the form of umbilicated vesicles, with a depression in the center. People frequently think they are pimples and try to squeeze them with unsuccessful results.
There are several ways of acquiring Molluscum Contagiosum. Generally the infection occurs after having sexual intercourse with a person infected with the virus. Dr. Casanova refers «it is a very common sexually transmitted disease«. It could also appear in children that have skin contact with a person infected due to a deficient immune response against the virus.
The lesions may appear anywhere on the body. In adults, molluscum contagiosum commonly appears in the genital area but the lesions may appear on the face, back, buttocks, skin of the thighs. In children it is common for molluscum lesions to be present on the hands.
The incubation period of sexual infection varies from one to two weeks and is more common in pregnant women, because pregnancy decreases a woman’s defenses.
Dr. Gerardo Casanova, explains that the infection by molluscum contagiosum of the genitals has had a dramatic increase of 300% in the past 2 years.
This increase in the number of cases of molluscum contagiosum could be explained by a recent mutation of the virus that increased its virulence and has become more resistant to treatment. Tips to prevent STD´s.
The treatment involves removing the skin lesions either by burning with trichloroacetic acid or liquid nitrogen freezing, a procedure called cryosurgery. Dr. Casanova relates that most cases do not recur unless a person has a drecrease in its inmmune sytem or if the person is reinfected, for example by using underwear that had the virus. Dr. Casanova relates that «fortunately the Molluscum Contagiosum infection is a benign disease». Tips to prevent STD´s.
