The simple answer to this is “yes”, they are in fact very contagious. But you need to consider the many different types of warts and how you can protect yourself and others from spreading the virus. The type of warts you develop will come from the type of HPV virus you have as there are several different kinds.

One thing that you should understand about the different types of HPV strain is that not all strains will spread to another area either on your body or somebody else’s body. Example, if you have the particular strain of HPV that gives you warts on your feet (plantar warts), then this won’t spread to the genitalia as this is a different type of HPV. This is not to say that if you have a wart on your hand that it won’t spread to your feet, it could quite easily spread there if the conditions are right.

Warts also like wet, damp areas and broken skin. So if you have a wart anywhere on your body, try to keep it dry to further reduce the risk of it spreading. If you bite your fingernails and cause cracked skin then this area will be at much greater risk.

Wash your hands regularly and use moisturizer if you are prone to getting dry, cracked skin as this will also be a haven for the HPV.

As the saying goes, the best cure is prevention. But the fact is that some people are just more susceptible than others and when they come into contact with the virus their chances of catching it are very high. But with treatments improving all the time, it is certainly a virus that can be controlled now and(when using the right treatment) warts can be eradicated very quickly and painlessly.