Vegemitis

Vegemitis is a disease that is characterized by plants growing out from toes, usually the big toe. It is especially widespread in the tropics. Known plants that have afflicted unfortunate sufferers include: Gerberas, rambutan, durian and lallang. Exposure to tiny seeds that lay waiting as unsuspecting victims walk around without footwear. The seed gets embedded under the toe nail, and with water and sunlight, will germinate from the infected foot. Cause of this mysterious ailment is still unknown due to lack of research funding in the South East Asian region, where it is most prevalent. The disease has been known to lay dormant in some cases and when least suspected, the sufferer wakes up with a sapling on his foot. Scientists has analyzed that the fruit that has been grown from Vegemitis victims has the same nutritional value as those that germinated from the ground. Prevention: Field reports has shown that plastic or tinted ziploc bags wrapped around the foot that helps deprive the infected foot of water and sunlight, may result in slower growth of the plant.