Tomato flu: Most common symptoms of the new virus circulating in India

There is a new viral infection that doctors in India are warning about. 82 children under the age of five have so far been infected with 26 young people below 10 years also suffering from the disease, according to DailyMail. As investigations are underway to learn more about the disease, there are some symptoms that are common among sufferers.

Symptoms of tomato flu

Tomato flu is so-called because of the red and painful blisters that erupt across patients’ bodies, gradually growing ‘to the size of a tomato’, researchers said in a study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

The people who have been infected have all suffered high fever and intense joint pain and fatigue. Others have reported being nauseous and having diarrhoea. There are fears that due to how contagious it is, the virus could spread into adult populations if the current outbreak is not controlled.

Given the similarities to hand, foot, and mouth disease, if the outbreak of tomato flu in children is not controlled and prevented, transmission might lead to serious consequences by spreading in adults as well.

Mosquito-borne infection?

There is currently no test for the virus, so the children who were infected were first tested for mosquito-borne diseases like zika virus, chikungunya and dengue — which are endemic to parts of the country — as well as herpes. Those tests came out negative.

There is currently no treatment for it either, but medics recommend isolating patients for five to seven days from when the first symptom is spotted. They should also get enough rest, remain hydrated and take paracetamol. Dr Dhiren Gupta, Senior Consultant, Sir Gangaram hospital told Hindustan Times:

Symptoms vary from type of virus, age group and immunity status of the patient. In general, it's not life-threatening in the general population

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