Causes

The virus that causes molluscum contagiosum spreads easily through:

• Skin-to-skin contact
• Contact with contaminated objects, such as towels
• Sexual contact with an affected partner
• Scratching or rubbing the bumps, which spreads the virus to nearby skin

It's not clear if the molluscum contagiosum virus can spread in the chlorinated water found in swimming pools. Experts suspect that it's more likely that swimmers transmit the virus through shared use of towels; equipment, such as kickboards; or skin contact.