Tomato flu, named for the painful red blisters it produces, has so far been detected in more than 100 children in three states since the first case was reported on May 6.
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The emergence of a rare new viral infection affecting young children has prompted health authorities in India to issue a health advisory after more than 100 cases were discovered in the country.
Tomato flu, named for the painful red blisters it produces, has so far been detected in 82 children under the age of five in Kerala state, where the first case was detected on May 6.
Since then, an additional 26 cases have been reported in the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu and Odisha in the east, where children as young as nine years old have been infected.
India’s Health Ministry has said the virus is not life-threatening, but issued testing and prevention guidelines to all states this week, urging parents to be more vigilant when monitoring their children for symptoms. reported the Times of India.
What is tomato flu?
Tomato flu is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads through close contact, particularly among young children under the age of five.
Symptoms include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, dehydration, joint swelling, body aches, and flu-like symptoms, as well as the eponymous tomato-like blisters.
Scientists are still trying to identify the cause of the virus pathway. However, they say that “it is not related to SARS-CoV-2 [Covid-19]despite displaying some similar symptoms, according to an article published last week in the British medical journal The Lancet.
The virus is most likely a sequel to chikungunya or dengue fever, two viral diseases transmitted by mosquitoes.
Alternatively, it could be a new variant of viral hand, foot, and mouth disease, a common infectious disease that primarily affects children aged one to five years and immunocompromised adults.
Who can catch him and how?
Children are at higher risk of exposure to tomato flu, as viral infections are common in this age group and are likely to spread through close contact.
They are also at particularly high risk from wearing diapers, touching dirty surfaces, and putting things directly into their mouths.
However, older adults could be at risk if the outbreak is not controlled and transmission is limited.
“Given the similarities to hand-foot-and-mouth disease, if the tomato flu outbreak in children is not controlled and prevented, transmission could have serious consequences by spreading to adults as well,” the Lancet article said.
Tomato flu is a self-limited disease, meaning that it tends to resolve spontaneously without treatment.
However, health officials have urged people to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the outbreak, including isolating suspected cases for five to seven days after symptoms start.
“The best solution for prevention is to maintain proper hygiene and disinfection of the surrounding necessities and environment, as well as to prevent the infected child from sharing toys, clothing, food or other items with other uninfected children,” the Lancet article said. . .
Source: www.cnbc.com