Basically, they are contagious, from one person to the next. Also, an individual person can self-inoculate and spread wart all over their affected body. Warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), and different types of HPV are specific for different parts of the body. For example, some HPV strains cause genital warts and cervical cancer, while others cause plantar warts (on your feet) or palmar warts (on your hands).