What is the "tomato virus", a disease that affects mostly children in India?

Fever and body pimples. These are symptoms of the mysterious Indian disease, “tomato flu”, which has been named after its victims. Numerous cases of the disease have been reported in Kerala in the south-west region of India, where it affects young children in particular. The disease isn’t considered serious by health authorities at the moment.

The viral condition causes high fever and red, painful rashes. This is what gave the disease its name. According to “Indian Express”, other symptoms include extreme fatigue, nausea or stomach cramps, and even changes in the color or shape of the hands or legs. There have been no deaths.

In Kerala, an Indian state located on the tropical Malabar coast, the “tomato flu”, which has more than 80 reported cases, has been endemic. Although cases of all ages have been reported, it seems that the majority of those affected are children younger than 5 years.

The cause of the disease is unknown at this point. It is not life-threatening, but it is contagious. The mode of transmission is still being investigated,” Dr. Subhash Chandra (Assistant Professor of Medicine), told India Today interns at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kochi.

Like other viral fevers, doctors recommend that people suffering from “tomato flu,” should rest and keep hydrated.

Professor P. Aruna is the Deputy Director for Health Services in Coimbatore Tamil Nadu, a neighboring state to Kerala. He also recommends the “Indian Express”, isolation for sick persons and disinfection on any clothing or object they touch. To avoid scarring, it is best to keep children from scratching their rashes.

There is currently no treatment available for the disease. However, symptoms will fade over time.

Mid-May, Karnataka’s health minister, who is also from Kerala, stated that there was no need to panic and that the authorities were closely monitoring the situation. There are no viruses that can be transmitted between states. K. Sudhakar said that the disease was not related to Covid-19.

Indian virologists consider it unlikely that the disease will be a major one. Former director of Tamil Nadu’s public health department, Dr Krishnan, suggested that the disease could be a form of hand-foot mouth syndrome. This viral infection, which is primarily affecting children younger than five years, according to the Institut Pasteur, causes fever and pimples on the hands, feet, mouth and buttocks.