Molluscum contagiosum is a skin infection caused by a virus belonging to the poxvirus family. If you are infected, you can transmit it through the following means:
Direct skin-to-skin contact
Wet towels, sports equipment or tanning beds
Sexual contact
Scratching lesions and then touching another part of your body, thereby spreading the infection
Symptoms:
The infection causes small, flesh-coloured or pearly-white growths or firm bumps with a smooth surface and sagging centre.
There may be one or more bumps in several places on your body.
If you are sexually active, the bumps may be on your genitals, inner thighs or abdomen.
The infection usually appears 1 to 3 months after exposure to the virus. The bumps can last from 6 months to 2 years and the virus is eliminated when the bumps disappear.