Infections and viruses like monkeypox and tomato fever, sometimes known as tomato flu, are proliferating while the world is slowly attempting to return to normal after COVID-19 wreaked havoc on everyone’s lives.
Red rashes are a side effect of tomato fever. The blisters that develop from these rashes frequently grow enormous and can occasionally resemble tomatoes.
Health experts are concerned about the Hand Foot Mouth Disease (HFMD), sometimes referred to as Tomato Fever, as it is spreading quickly, with India reporting 82 cases. “A new virus known as tomato flu, or tomato fever, has emerged in India in the state of Kerala in children younger than 5 years,” Lancet reported. “Just as we are dealing with the possible development of the fourth wave of COVID-19, a new virus known as tomato flu, or tomato fever, has emerged in India.” According to the Lancet Respiratory Journal, the first instance of “tomato fever” was recorded on May 6 in Kollam, Kerala.
While the dagger of monkeypox hangs low, COVID-19 has not let up on India, and a study published in the Lancet Respiratory Journal has highlighted that the signs and symptoms of someone with the disease are similar to those of other respiratory illnesses. The ones suffering from HFMD, or Tomato Fever, are similar, but caused by different viruses.
Here is a thorough explanation of the symptoms of tomato fever and how they compare to those of COVID-19.
Symptoms of Covid-19 with Tomato Fever
Similar signs of the tomato flu virus are shown in Covid-19. At first, these symptoms include fever, exhaustion, and body aches. Rashes on the skin are also reported by some COVID-19 patients. However, SARS-CoV-2 is unrelated to the virus that causes tomato fever.
Tomato flu may not actually be a viral infection in children, but rather a complication of dengue or chikungunya fever.
Similar Diseases to Tomato Fever in Symptoms
According to a paper in the Lancet, the principal symptoms seen in children with tomato fever, which include a high temperature, rashes, and excruciating joint pain, are comparable to those of chikungunya.
The red, painful blisters that appear all over the body and eventually develop to resemble tomatoes gave the illness its name. According to the article, these blisters or rashes mimic those that young people who have the monkeypox virus experience. The tomato flu causes skin rashes that irritate the skin.
Additional signs and symptoms of dengue are similar to those of other viral illnesses, such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, dehydration, swelling of the joints, and body aches.
How to Recognize Tomato Fever?
Dengue, chikungunya, zika, varicella-zoster, and herpes are diagnosed in children with these symptoms using molecular and serological tests;11 The tomato virus has been confirmed after these viral infections have been ruled out.
Tomato Fever Symptoms
Patients infected with the Tomato Fever virus complain of
- Tiredness
- Red rashes that enlarge resembling a Tomato
- Joint pain
- Stomach cramps
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Runny nose
- High fever
- Body ache
Is Tomato Fever Spreadable?
The Hand Foot Mouth Disease (HFMD), also known as tomato fever, is extremely contagious and spreads through contact. So far, no vaccine is available for the virus.
If someone is infected, then it is necessary for them to remain in isolation. Utensils, clothes and other items used by the infected people must be sanitized to prevent the flu from spreading. Experts advise rest, plenty of fluids, and a hot water sponge for the relief of irritation and rashes for patients infected with Tomato Fever.
Treatment
Owing to its similarity to chikungunya and dengue as well as hand, foot, and mouth diseases, treatment is also similar to them—isolation, rest, plenty of fluids, and a hot water sponge for the relief of irritation and rashes. Supportive therapy of paracetamol for fever and body aches and other symptomatic treatments are required.
Prevention
To stop the virus from spreading to other children or adults, isolation should be practiced for five to seven days after the onset of symptoms.
The greatest method of prevention is maintaining good hygiene, sanitizing the immediate area, and keeping the infected child from sharing toys, clothes, food, or other objects with other children who are not ill.
The most effective methods for protecting public health against viral infections are drug re-purposing and vaccination, particularly in young children, the elderly, immunocompromised individuals, and those with underlying medical conditions.
