What is the most common causative agent of condyloma?

The most common causative agent of condyloma, which refers to genital warts, is human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6 and 11. These particular strains of HPV are classified as low-risk types because they are primarily associated with benign lesions such as warts.

Condyloma acuminatum is characterized by the appearance of multiple, soft, fleshy growths in the genital or perianal region. The infection typically occurs through skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity, and the incubation period can vary, with lesions sometimes taking months to develop after exposure to the virus.

In contrast, other options such as herpes simplex virus may cause lesions that resemble warts but are typically painful and grouped, and they are associated with genital herpes rather than condylomata. Candida albicans is a yeast that causes infections like vulvovaginal candidiasis, which does not present with condyloma. Treponema pallidum is the causative agent of syphilis, which may produce different types of genital lesions, but is not associated with the characteristic warts seen in condyloma.

Thus, the identification of HPV types 6 and 11 as the primary pathogens responsible for condyloma