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A new virus, dubbed ‘tomato flu’, has been identified in 82 children under the age of five in the southern Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The cases were recorded between May 6 and July 26 of this year, according to an article titled “The Outbreak of Tomato Flu in India”, which was published in the scientific journal “The Lancet” this week.
In addition, Bhubaneswar Regional Center for Medical Research reported that 26 children aged between 1 and 9 years in Odisha were also infected. According to the article, no other region of India other than Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Odisha has been affected by the virus.
The name “tomato flu” is derived from the red, painful rashes that erupt all over the body and are about the size of a tomato. These spots are similar to those seen in cases of smallpox.
According to the researchers, a viral infection can also affect immunosuppressed adults, but it is still considered rare, is endemic and is not life-threatening.
However, the Kerala Health Ministry is taking precautionary measures to monitor the viral infection and prevent its spread to other regions of India.
Although the tomato flu virus has symptoms similar to those of covid-19, such as fever, fatigue, and body aches, the virus is not related to SARS-CoV-2. Researchers hypothesize that tomato flu may be an after-effect of chikungunya or dengue fever in children.
Another hypothesis is that the virus is a new type of Viral disease “hand, foot, and mouth”It is a common infection that mainly affects children between the ages of 1 and 5 years and adults who are immunocompromised.
Therefore, the treatment of “tomato flu” is similar to the treatment used in the treatment of these diseases: isolation, rest, increased fluids, a water sponge to relieve irritation and rashes, and the use of paracetamol for fever and body aches.
