Lancet report warns about ‘very contagious’ tomato flu in India
Health experts have warned India about ‘tomato flu’ in children younger than five years old and said it is “very contagious”.
According to The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal, the rare viral infection is in an endemic state and is considered non-life-threatening.
“Just as we are dealing with the probable emergence of fourth wave of COVID-19, a new virus known as tomato flu, or tomato fever, has emerged in India in the state of Kerala in children younger than 5 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, the vigilant management is desirable to prevent further outbreaks,” the report in the journal said.
“Similar to other types of influenza, tomato flu is very contagious. Hence, it is mandatory to follow careful isolation of confirmed or suspected cases and other precautionary steps to prevent the outbreak of the tomato flu virus from Kerala to other parts of India. Isolation should be followed for 5-7 days from symptom onset to prevent the spread of infection to other children or adults,” the health experts said in the report.
In May, Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar said there is no need to panic about reports of tomato flu in neighbouring Kerala, as it is endemic to that State, and instructed authorities in the border district to remain vigilant aimed at controlling its spread.
As per the 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 5 years with the infection have been reported by the local government hospitals.
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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. Apart from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha, no other regions in India have been affected by the virus.
“Tomato flu gained its name on the basis of the eruption of red and painful blisters throughout the body that gradually enlarge to the size of a tomato. These blisters resemble those seen with the monkeypox virus in young individuals. Rashes also appear on the skin with tomato flu that lead to skin irritation. As with other viral infections, further symptoms include, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, dehydration, swelling of joints, body aches, and common influenza-like symptoms, which are similar to those manifested in dengue,” the report said.
Although the tomato flu virus shows symptoms similar to those of COVID-19 (both are associated with fever, fatigue, and body aches initially, and some patients with COVID-19 also report rashes on the skin), the virus is not related to SARS-CoV-2, health experts said.