The pathogen of genital warts is human papillomavirus (HPV), which belongs to DNA virus. The diameter of virus particles is 43 to 55 nanometers. In recent years, the research of molecular biology technology has developed rapidly, proving that there are more than 90 antigenic types of human papillomavirus, that is, there are more than 90 similar but different viruses in this family. Genital warts and warts growing on the body, such as common warts (what we usually call warts), flat warts, filiform warts, palmoplantar warts, etc., are all caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV); but different types of HPV can cause different warts, such as type 1 mainly causes palmoplantar warts, type 2 mainly causes common warts, type 3 mainly causes flat warts, and the subtypes that cause genital warts can reach 45 types, among which the most important are type 6 and type 11. The different types that cause genital warts are divided into low-risk types and high-risk types according to their carcinogenicity. The low-risk types are mainly type 6 and type 11; the high-risk types are mainly type 16, type 18, type 45, and type 56. The HPV virus that causes genital warts is particularly easy to survive and multiply in a warm and humid environment.
The external genitalia are the most susceptible sites to infection.Human papillomavirus is not only the cause of genital warts, but also related to human tumors. Human papillomavirus DNA sequences can often be detected in cervical squamous cell carcinoma, vulvar and perianal cancer tissues. About 90% of cervical cancer patients test positive for human papillomavirus DNA, mainly high-risk types 16 and 18.
