Molluscum Contagiosum is a very common skin condition caused by a virus. This is a highly contagious disease that can easily spread from one person to another through close skin to skin contact. People may also get infected with this virus by sharing personal effects with an infected person. Clothes, towels and infected clothing articles are often found to be the cause of infection. Sportsmen in close contact sports like wrestling may even get infected from infected mats in the wrestling ring.
The skin condition presents itself in the form of tiny bumps on the skin. These bumps are usually light pink or skin colored. They may appear anywhere on the infected site, all over the body. Unlike some of the other viruses, that may remain dormant in the body for years, the molluscum contagiosum causing viruses usually remain only on the skin. There are only two molluscum contagiosum stages - the infective and the non infective. The infective stage is one where the virus causes the tiny bumps to appear. During this stage, the infection is contagious and can spread to other people. After treatment, the non infective stage begins in which the bumps disappear and the disease is longer contagious.