Molluscum

Molluscum contagiosum is a skin infection caused by a poxvirus. It is a virus that lives in the skin. A molluscum skin infection usually appears 1 to 3 months after you are exposed to the virus. The virus can
last on your body from 6 months to 2 years.

• Skin-to-skin contact
• Wet towels, gym equipment and tanning beds
• Sexual contact
• It can be spread to other parts of the body when you scratch the bumps and then touch another body part

• Molluscum causes small, smooth, pearly white or flesh-colored hard bumps with a pitted or dimpled centre.
• You can have one or a group of bumps anywhere on the body.
• In sexually active people, these bumps may be found on the genitals, inner thighs, or abdomen.
• The bumps can last from 6 months to 2 years. Once the bumps are gone so is the virus.
• If scratched, the bumps can become infected with bacteria and may be tender or red.

The bumps will usually go away on their own in 6 to 12 months. Very rarely, bumps will stay up to 2 years. Molluscum can be treated by freezing with liquid nitrogen or applying a prescription cream.

A health care professional diagnoses molluscum after examining the skin.