Definition for Verruca

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A contagious and usually painful wart on the sole of the foot; a plantar wart. Like other warts, verrucas are caused by strains of papillomavirus. There is lots of papillomavirus around, and many people carry it on the surface of their skin. It does not cause any harm unless it penetrates into the skin, where it can take hold and cause a wart. This is most likely to happen if the surface of your skin is already damaged, with tiny cracks.