Tomato Flu: Uttar Pradesh Govt Issues Advisory Amid Rising Cases

Lucknow: Amid the havoc of COVID-19 and Monkeypox, tomato flu has turned out to be another headache for the people in the country with case several states witnessing such cases.

It was first identified in Kerala. Apart from Kerala, the new Hand Food and Mouth Disease (HFMD), tomato flu has been detected in three other states. In view of the cases of tomato flu, an advisory has also been issued by the Center to the states. In this advisory, information about the symptoms of tomato flu prevention has been given.

Now, the Uttar Pradesh government has too issued an advisory on tomato flu, wherein, the state administration has asked to maintain proper hygiene.

Further, the government has also asked the masses to practice sanitization on a regular basis and asked the parents to advise children to refrain from physical contact with other children.

"The best thing for prevention is maintaining proper hygiene and sanitization of the surroundings. Parents should tell their children not to hug or touch other children having fever or rash symptoms," reads the advisory.

On August 24, the Union Health Ministry issued an advisory on 'Tomato Flu', also known as Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD), to the states after more than 100 cases were reported from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Haryana.

"The name Tomato Flu comes from the main symptom of this disease, i.e, tomato-shaped blisters on several body parts. The blisters start as red-colored small blisters and resemble tomatoes when they enlarge. Primary symptoms observed in children with Tomato Flu are similar to those of other viral infections, which include fever, rashes, and pain in joints. Rashes on the skin can also lead to skin irritation," the Health Ministry said in the advisory.

Tomato Flu was first detected in the Kollam district in Kerala on May 6, and as of July 26, over 80 children less than five years of age were infected by the disease, as per reports from local government hospitals. This viral illness triggered an alert in 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.

However, apart from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Odisha, no other state has reported Tomato Flu cases so far.

What is Tomato flu?

Tomata flu is a rare viral disease, which causes red-coloured rashes, skin irritation, and dehydration. The disease gets its name from the blisters it causes, which look like tomatoes.

Tomato flu symptoms

One of the major symptoms is that a child can get blisters the size of tomatoes, which are red in colour. Other symptoms include high fever, body ache, joint swelling, and fatigue - much like chikungunya.

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