Whats the difference between a wart and a verruca?
It is estimated that about 10% of the population suffer from warts. Warts are caused by the virus known as the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which enters the skin through a cut or abrasion. The virus is easily spread through physical contact, with most cross-infection taking place on the sole of the foot in places such as swimming pools, changing rooms and school gymnasia. It is partly for this reason that children are most commonly affected by warts on the sole of the foot. ‘Verruca’ is the Latin name for ‘wart’. Although it is strictly correct to call any wart a ‘verruca’, over the years the term ‘verruca’ has come to mean only a plantar wart, (a wart on the sole of the foot) and we shall use the word ‘verruca’ here to describe these particular warts. The life cycle of a verruca It may take between one and eight months for a verruca to make an appearance after viral infection. Verrucas can be extremely resistant to the body’s natural defences, and are quite capable of surviving in mos
