It could be fungal. Several fungal strains are quite contagious if people are sharing showers, towels, etc.
Another possibility, Pittariasis Rosea, is something my son just had. It's viral and not serious. Bumps and a certain degree of itchiness. It lasts several weeks. He lives in Virginia.
My husband had that a couple of years ago. We had been doing extensive renovations on our house. The house had quite the mold buildup in the bathroom, just for starters. He had also been using paint remover, and this seemed to make the rash flare up.
56 posted on 11/30/2001 6:53:34 PM PST by NatureGirl