Tomato Flu- Causes, Symptoms, Prevention, and Treatment

Tomato Flu- Relevance for UPSC Exam

GS Paper 2: Governance, Administration and Challenges- Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to: Health.

Recently, cases of Tomato Flu reported from at least four states — Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Odisha.
In this context, the Union Health Ministry issued a set of guidelines on prevention, testing, and treatment of the Tomato Flue infection.

About: Tomato flu or tomato fever is characterised by fever, joint pain, and red, tomato-like rashes usually seen in children below the age of five years.
- Tomato Flue is accompanied by other symptoms of viral fevers such as diarrhoea, dehydration, nausea and vomiting, and fatigue.
Symptoms: The red “tomato” rashes were traditionally restricted to the mouth (tongue, gums, and inside of the cheek), palms, and soles.
- However, now doctors are also reporting rashes on the buttocks, and a shedding of nails.
Causes: researchers believe that it is hand-foot-and mouth disease (HFMD) caused by a group of enteroviruses (viruses transmitted through the intestine) like Coxsackievirus A-6 and A-16.
- Another pathogen — Enterovirus71 — that also causes the disease. However, this one is not very prevalent now.
Impacts: In almost all cases, say 99.9% cases, the disease is self-limiting. But, in a small number of cases it can lead to CNS (central nervous system) complications.

There is no specific treatment or vaccine available for the Tomato Flu Disease.
Those with the Tomato Flu infection are treated symptomatically, such as prescription of paracetamol for fever.

As it happens mainly in children, the Centre’s advisory to states that was issued focuses on preventions in these age groups.

As per the advisory, anyone suspected to have the infection should remain in isolation for five to seven days after the onset of the symptoms.
It states that children must be educated about the infection and asked not to hug or touch other children with fever or rashes.
The children should be encouraged to maintain hygiene, stop thumb or finger sucking, and use a handkerchief for a running nose, the advisory states.
If a child develops symptoms, they should be isolated, their utensils, clothing, and bedding must be regularly sanitised, they must be kept hydrated, and the blisters must be cleaned using warm water
It also states that testing should be conducted to take measures if there is an outbreak.
- Any respiratory, faecal, or cerebrospinal fluid samples (in cases with encephalitis or inflammation of the brain) have to be collected within 48 hours of illness.
- The biopsy of the lesions or skin scraping samples does not have such time limits.