New Delhi: Amid the Covid-19 fourth wave and cases of monkeypox, doctors in India have expressed concern about the new disease spreading rapidly. ‘Tomato flu’, as it is known, is a new type of hand, foot and mouth disease and cases have been reported in Kerala and Odisha. According to the Lancet Respiratory Journal, cases of ‘tomato flu’ were first reported in Kollam, Kerala on May 6, and so far 82 children under the age of five have been infected.Also Read – Tomato fever: second fastest growing disease after monkey pox? You need to know
“As we deal with the possible emergence of a fourth wave of Covid-19, a new virus known as tomato flu or tomato fever has emerged in children under five in the Indian state of Kerala,” Lancet said. His report. Also Read – Corona, monkeypox, tomato flu, norovirus from Mars, these 8 viruses are wreaking havoc across the world.
What causes tomato flu?
The infection is caused by an enteric virus and is rare in adults because their immune systems are usually strong enough to fight off the virus. Also Read – Tomato Flu: 26 cases found in Odisha | You need to know about this disease
Why is it called tomato flu?
The infection is named ‘tomato flu’ because of the red, painful blisters that appear on the patient’s body and gradually enlarge to the size of tomatoes.
What are the symptoms of tomato flu?
Symptoms include high fever, body aches, joint swelling and fatigue – similar to chikungunya. Some children have also reported nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, dehydration, joint swelling, and body aches.
Treatment, infection
Health experts say that this is a self-limiting disease and no specific medicine exists to treat it. Speaking to the Journal, they also warned that the infection is “highly contagious”.
Which parts of India have reported cases of tomato flu?
According to Lancet, the other affected areas in Kerala are Anchal, Aryankavu and Neduvathur. It also said that the rise of the disease has also triggered an alert in the neighboring states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. “Furthermore, 26 children (aged 1-9 years) in Odisha have been reported to have the disease by the Regional Medical Research Center in Bhubaneswar. To date, apart from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Odisha, no other region in India has been affected by the virus,” the Lancet report said.
