SAMEER WAHEED MADLOOL, MOHAMMED JASIM MOHAMMED SHALLAL* AND ALAA A. NAIF
Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Thi-Qar, Iraq
*(e-mail: mohammed-j@utq.edu.iq; Mobile: +964 78024 06226)
(Received: March 20, 2023; Accepted: April 24, 2023)
ABSTRACT
Cutaneous warts are a common viral infection of the skin caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The main aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of cutaneous warts among patients and also to identify risk factors associated with the development of cutaneous warts, such as age, gender and residency, occupation and other factors. One hundred and seventy samples of cutaneous warts of different types were collected from patients at the main as well as private clinics during the period from August 2022 to the end of December 2022. A high prevalence of HPV infection (55.30%) was noticed for HPV DNA using the FAP PCR method. The study also revealed that the hand was the most common location for warts, followed by the sole, with varying percentages for other locations. Common warts were more prevalent than plantar warts in all age groups, with a higher prevalence in younger age groups. Patients living in urban areas had a higher prevalence of warts compared to those in rural areas.
Key words : HPV (Human Papillomavirus), cutaneous warts, verruca plantar, Verruca vulgaris