Tomato Flu, a viral disease, is running rampant in Kerala, with over 7 dozen kids below the age of five years being infected by the virus in the past few days. Health experts are expecting the cases to rise further rapidly and advising the people to take necessary precautions.
Kerala health department has deployed many medical teams to the select locations to discover the possibly Tomato Flu infected population. One group checks the people entering Coimbatore for symptoms like fever, rashes and other illnesses. At the same time, a team is deployed at the Kerala- Tamilnadu border to catch the possible carriers of the virus.
These teams are advised to check children with utmost precision. A medical unit of around 24 members is also directed to run tests in Anganwadis across Kerala to maintain safety standards.
Basic details about Tomato Flu:
Tomato Flu is a viral fever whose cause remains unknown. It is mostly discovered among children below 5 years of age in Kerala. The flu causes red marks or blisters on the body and fever, which is named the Tomato Flu. The redness of the blisters resembles the colour of a tomato.
Researchers are also studying the possibility of only an aftereffect of diseases like Dengue and Chikungunya. Kerala health care experts have warned that until the real cause of the disease is found, it is essential to treat it as a dangerous disease.
Symptoms of Tomato Flu:
The main symptom is the red rashes that appear on the skin. It also causes dehydration and irritation. Children can also experience nausea, tiredness, swelling, joint pain, runny nose, diarrhoea and other diseases generally associated with the common flu.
Precautions to take:
If a person experiences any of the listed symptoms, he should rush to the hospital to get a doctor’s consultation. One should avoid scratching the blisters while being affected by the virus. Proper hygiene and dehydration can help in recovering faster from the disease.
Read also: COVID-19 vs Flu Symptoms: How to Differentiate Between Them
