Concerned

[wnt2knw]

This is a question about the possibility of contracting a disease through contact with another.  I was recently working with someone whom I noticed had many barnacle-like sores on his body.  They appeared rather large, some the size of a silver dollar, and somewhat raised.  The sores on his legs were red.  On his arms they appeared to be ash color.  Throughout the course of the conversation he informed me he had a "terrible disease."  I never found out what the disease was.  But I am concerned with waking up one day with the same problem and no cure.  Is it possible to contract this through touch?  Also, should I be concerned about waking up one day with similar sores and no cure?  How common are skin conditions like this contagious?  Should I ask this person what the disease is?  

Thanks,

Concerned

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Obviously, I can't say for sure, because I don't know what your co-worker had.  However, I doubt that you have anything to worry about.  If these "barnacles" were some sort of infection, bacterial or otherwise, you most likely would have caught it right away of you were going to catch it at all.  Is your co-worker still there?  Perhaps you should ask what this "terrible disease" is.  Meantime, I wouldn't worry.  If you get a skin condition, show it to a doctor.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff

[wnt2knw]

Thank you for the comment.  However, I was hoping to find out the possibilities of transmitting an incurable disease through skin contact.  Are there known external sores that are spreadable through touch.  The answer I was hoping for is that external sores are generally not communicable through touch, and if they are, they are almost invariably treatable...  Does anyone know the answer?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

There is no general answer.  You need to know the diagnosis.  

Dr. Rockoff