Papillomaviruses Turns Boy Into Tree

A rare condition is turning a seven-year-old boy's hands and feet into “trees.”

Ripon Sarker from Thakurgaon, Bangladesh is suffering from a rare skin disorder caused by human Papillomaviruses   , an infection which results in the growth of scaly warts.

The child – who was first affected when he was only three months old - was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment for the first time on August 20. His family couldn't previously afford to pay for the medical attention required.

The warts continue to grow larger on his palm and foot, to the extent that poor Ripon cannot even walk or eat by himself.

Thankfully, doctors are hopeful that his hands and feet are operable as his fingers and toes can still be identified. They explained that the child's family is extremely poor and the boy has lacked the nutrition necessary for his physical development, contributing to the “tree man disease.”