I currently have Pityriasis Rosea. It’s a rash caused by a virus that is not contagious. I cannot wrap my head around how I’m not contagious to others, but I contracted the virus in the first place that made the rash appear. How does this work?
In: Biology
Rashes themselves are an immuno response with inflammation caused by histamine and other chemicals from your body.
Like the others, I’m not familiar with that virus, but if it acts similar to warts, it is subdermal, below your skin or at least the top layer. That diseased tissue is the contagious portion, but it’s not able to be spread unless it has a vector- a means by which is can transmit itself. Through fluid usually.
It’s also possible you caught it while your immune system was weak and unable to fight it. We’re exposed to thousands if not millions of disease causing pathogens a day, but most people will not get sick from them. Your immune system is very effective at what it does.
It does have lapses though particularly when it’s overwhelmed by systematic illness that has already taken hold (hence why HIV+ individuals tend to be more susceptible to other infections) and by repeated contact or excessive contact with diseased tissue/pathogens.
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