Amid rising cases of ‘Tomato Flu’ Centre issues advisory to states
The central government has issued an advisory to states on Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD), commonly known as Tomato Flu, after more than 100 cases were reported from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Haryana.
According to a report, there have been more than 100 cases of flu in children under nine years of age in the country. Tomato flu first emerged in Kerala’s Kollam district on May 6 and then spread to other areas of the state- Aanchal, Aryankavu, and Neduvathur.
This endemic viral disease triggered an alert in the neighboring states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The Regional Medical Research Center in Bhubaneswar revealed that 26 children (aged 1 to 9 years) reported the disease in the state of Odisha. Apart from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Odisha, no other part of India has reported the disease in its State/UT.
Centre issues advisory to states
The disease, which appears to be a variant of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), primarily occurs in children under the age of 10, but it can also occur in adults, according to the center’s advisory on Tuesday (August 23). The advisory said that children should be educated about the signs and symptoms and side effects of tomato flu.
Tomato Flu vs Covid-19
| Topic | Tomato Flu | COVID-19 |
| Incubation or Isolation period | 5-7 days | 2-14 days |
| Contagious | Less contagious | More contagious |
| Response to children | Targets children under the age of 5. | People of all ages are getting infected |
| Complications | Non-life threatening till now | There are cases of blood clotting in veins, arteries, lungs, heart, legs, and brain |
Symptoms: It was reported that although tomato flu shows similar symptoms to other viral infections such as fever, fatigue, body aches, and skin rashes, it is not related at all to SARS-CoV-2, monkeypox, dengue, and/or chikungunya.
“Infantsand young children are also at risk of this infection from the use of nappies, touching unclean surfaces as well as putting things directly in the mouth. HFMD occurs mainly in children under 10 years of age, But it can also happen in adults.” Ministry said. According to the ministry, the best way to prevent the disease is to prevent the infected child from sharing toys, clothes, food, or other items with other non-infected children, along with maintaining proper hygiene and sanitization of the surrounding environment.
Preventive Measures and Treatment
- Drink more water, juices, and liquid
- Try to drink more boiled water
- It’s better not to touch the blisters
- Maintain good personal hygiene
- Maintain physically distance from infected people
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