What Is Tomato Flu

It was reported on the 21st that India has recently reported more than 80 cases of "tomato flu" in a row. According to the "Lancet" magazine, "tomato flu" is a variant of the hand, foot and mouth disease. The infected person will develop a very painful rash and blisters, and slowly spread to the size of a tomato, hence the name "Tomato Flu." Symptoms also include high fever, nausea, diarrhea, dehydration, swollen joints and body aches. "Tomato flu" is highly contagious, and the main infective population is children under the age of five with low immunity. Mortality rates among those infected with the virus are low, largely dependent on good nutrition and care, but 58 of the 58 deaths so far have been children.

It was reported on the 21st that under the background of the continuous COVID-19 epidemic, India has recently reported more than 80 cases of "tomato flu". Coupled with the fact that monkeypox cases are also prevalent in many parts of the world, India, the country's health and epidemic prevention are under pressure. The researchers compared the blisters of rashes caused by the "tomato flu" with monkeypox; comparing the symptoms of fever with dengue fever, chikungunya fever and hand-foot-and-mouth disease, it is believed that "tomato flu" may be a sequela of the latter three diseases.

What is Tomato Flu?

Tomato flu, also known as tomato fever, the English name is Tomatoflu or TomatoFever, ordinary people may be unfamiliar with this disease name, but, in fact, this disease is not uncommon in South Asia and high latitudes. Tomato flu is a viral disease that affects children under the age of five the most. Tomato flu, an unspecified type of fever, the cause of which has not been definitively determined. Some experts suspect that the disease is related to chikungunya or dengue fever, a sequela of mosquito-borne diseases. Other experts believe that the disease may be related to hand, foot and mouth disease caused by the coxsackie virus.

Tomato flu, there will be many red round blisters on the patient's body, which are filled with fluid, like tomato, hence the name of the disease, but the occurrence and treatment of this disease are not related to tomatoes. Tomato flu can cause high fever, body aches, swollen joints, fatigue, rash, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms similar to food poisoning. Red blisters mainly appear on the palms, soles, mouth, lips, Discoloration may also occur on the elbows, hands, knees, and buttocks.

The tomato flu epidemic mainly occurred in Kerala and Tamil Nadu in southern India. More than 80 cases have been reported, and all confirmed cases are children under the age of five. Experts believe the disease is contagious, and patients need to be treated in isolation. At present, three epidemiological teams are closely monitoring. With the increase of cases, some people have misunderstood the name of the disease and are worried that eating tomatoes will cause fever. However, experts believe that although tomato flu is a rare disease, there is no Preventive vaccines and specific treatments are available, however, tomato flu is self-limiting and symptoms usually subside within 10 days, so there is no need to panic.

Current observations have found that symptoms of tomato flu appear within 3 to 6 days of infection, with light red patches appearing on multiple parts of the patient's body, followed by the formation of red, fluid-filled blisters. If blisters appear in the mouth or throat, Difficulty swallows and possible dehydration. After the blisters burst, ulcers may appear, causing pain and itching. Patients may also experience fatigue, severe body pain, loss of appetite, and in severe cases, cough, swollen joints, runny nose, sneezing, and abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, Vomit. Touching the fluid from a ruptured blister can spread the disease. It is worth noting that after the patient's symptoms subside, the virus may still persist in the body for about 7 days, and at this stage, other contacts may still be infected.

The cause of tomato flu has not yet been definitively confirmed. Because, according to Koch's law of infectious disease identification, 4 steps are required to identify the pathogen. First, coexistence observation. Second, isolate the pathogen. Third, inoculation, causing the same disease. Fourth, re-isolation, after inoculation, the pathogen can be isolated again. The cause of tomato flu has been confirmed, and it is still in the first stage. How the epidemic develops remains to be observed. Local epidemiologists in India are already conducting relevant monitoring and investigations. At the same time, they also call for strengthening prevention to prevent the spread of the epidemic.

How to Prevent Tomato Flu

Tomato flu, the main response measures are symptomatic treatment and prevention.The current treatment options are to use drugs such as paracetamol to relieve symptoms of fever and body pain, gargle with salt water to help control the pain caused by oral blisters, increase fluid intake appropriately, prevent dehydration, strengthen skin care, reduce irritation, prevent The blisters burst, allowing the blisters to subside on their own.

Preventive measures are mainly to maintain social distance, pay attention to disinfection of the surrounding environment, do not let children share toys or clothing, and avoid touching the patient's blisters. Or if the patient's blisters must be touched should be wearing gloves to prevent transmission of the disease. At the same time, educate children to learn to wash their hands properly and not to touch their eyes, mouth and nose. If your child develops a fever and blisters, they must isolate and seek medical attention.