5 frequently asked questions about Tomato flu and Tomato Fever and their answers

India

oi-Prakash KL

New Delhi, Aug 20: Just as the world is dealing with COVID-19 and monkeypox, a new virus known as tomato flu, or tomato fever, has emerged in India in children younger than five years.

The rare viral infection is in an endemic state and is considered non-life-threatening; however, because of the dreadful experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, vigilant management is desirable to prevent further outbreaks, Lancet said in a report.

The tomato flu was first identified in the Kollam district of Kerala on May 6 and as of July 26, more than 82 children younger than five years with the infection have been reported by the local government hospitals.

The other affected areas of Kerala are Anchal, Aryankavu, and Neduvathur. This endemic viral illness triggered an alert to the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Additionally, 26 children (aged 1-9 years) have been reported as having the disease in Odisha by the Regional Medical Research Centre in Bhubaneswar. To date, apart from Kerala, Tamilnadu, and Odisha, no other regions in India have been affected by the virus. However, precautionary measures are being taken by the Kerala Health Department to monitor the spread of the viral infection and prevent its spread in other parts of India.

Here are Frequently Asked Questions About tomato flu

What is Tomato Fever?
Tomato fever is an unidentified fever and it is unclear whether the disease is a viral fever or an aftereffect of chikungunya or dengue fever.

Although the tomato flu virus shows symptoms similar to those of COVID-19 (both are associated with fever, fatigue, and bodyaches initially, and some patients with COVID-19 also report rashes on the skin), the virus is not related to SARS-CoV-2.

The virus could also be a new variant of the viral hand, foot, and mouth disease, a common infectious disease targeting mostly children aged 1-5 years and immunocompromised adults, and some case studies have even shown hand, foot, and mouth disease in immunocompetent adults, as per Lancet report.

What are the causes of tomato flu?
It is still unknown and health officials are still investigating the causes of the disease.

What are the Symptoms of Tomato Fever?
Those infected with the disease have rashes almost the size of tomatoes and skin irritation and show signs of dehydration on the tongue.

Some patients have claimed that worms had come out of the boils that develop on the rashes.

High fever, body aches, joint swelling, fatigue, rashes of the size of tomatoes and irritation in the mouth, discolouration of the hands, knees, buttocks, etc.

What are the Preventive Measures and Treatment?
Consult a nearby doctor if the child has any of those symptoms.

Those infected by the disease are advised to consume a lot of fluid.

Rashes should not be scratched.

People should maintain distance from the infected person.

It is important for the patient and people around him to maintain cleanliness.

Need to take proper rest as the fever, in many cases, lasts for a week.

Does Tomato Flu have anything to do with COVID-19?
Although there are similar to COVID-19, Tomato Flu has nothing to do with COVID-19. It has to be noted that such symptoms are seen in other types of viral infections as well. Hence, no need to panic as the authorities.