Work

Although there has been only one reported case of healthcare provider-to-patient transmission of molluscum contagiosum, if an employee who comes in physical contact with clients regularly, such as an aesthetician or healthcare provider, is diagnosed with molluscum contagiosum by a healthcare professional, it would be reasonable to require that he/she cover visible lesions with a watertight dressing while at work. Otherwise, no special precautions are needed.

Other precautions can prevent or reduce spread to uninfected people:

• Frequent and correct hand hygiene practices. For handwashing tips and information, see the Clean Hands Saves Lives  site.
• Requiring notation of molluscum contagiosum on examinations requested for—
  • Employment
    • Recommended only for employees with regular physical contact with clients (e.g., aestheticians, health care professionals, day care employees) who are normally required to have skin examinations during pre-employment physicals.
  • Camp
  • Sports physicals
• Recommending that all visible lesions be covered by a watertight dressing, if molluscum contagiosum is diagnosed by a healthcare professional during a physical examination.
• Routinely disinfecting shared equipment (e.g., kick boards, wrestling mats). The molluscum contagiosum virus is not particularly difficult to kill and usual sanitation procedures should be sufficient.