An outbreak of a new viral infection, referred to as tomato flu, which was first detected in children in Kerala, India, in May, has spread to two other countries.
According to an article in Lancet Respiratory Medicine, 82 children under the age of five had been diagnosed with the virus in Kerala, India, as of July 26.
Cases have now been reported in neighboring Tamil Nadu and Odisha in the east, where children as young as nine have been infected, although the virus usually affects those under five.
Scientists are trying to identify exactly what this virus is. It is known as tomato flu because of the painful red blisters it causes on the body and is highly contagious. Children are particularly vulnerable because it is easily spread through close contact, such as through diapers, touching dirty surfaces or putting things in the mouth.
"The rare viral infection is endemic and considered non-life-threatening; however, due to the dire experience of the Covid-19 pandemic, vigilant management is necessary to prevent further outbreaks," the Lancet article states.
Doctors say diagnosing tomato flu is difficult because its symptoms are very similar to those of Covid, Chikungunya and dengue fever. The latter two are common in India during the rainy season and are spread by mosquitoes.
Symptoms of tomato flu are: skin irritation; legs and hands become whiter; fatigue, abdominal pain, vomiting/nausea, diarrhea; cough, fever, fever, sneezing and runny nose; joint pain and body aches.
