The time from the first contact to the time the warts have grown large enough to be seen is generally several months. The risk of catching hand, foot, and flat warts is small. Genital warts seem to be very contagious. These warts are associated with cancer of the cervix. It is important to use precautions so as not to spread genital warts to one's sexual partner.
Some people get warts depending on how often they are exposed to the virus.
For example, dermatologists seem to have a higher incidence of warts than do other people. Wart viruses occur more easily if the skin has been damaged in some way, which explains the high frequency of warts in children who bite their nails or pick at hangnails. Some people are naturally more likely to catch the wart virus than are others. Just as some people catch colds very easily. Patients whose immune systems have been affected by certain medical conditions and some medications also are more prone to the wart virus infection.