Since the sixth of last May, more than 80 cases of “tomato flu” have been reported in children in India, according to the British newspaper “Express”.
The disease was called tomato flu because of the red blisters it causes, knowing that it mainly affects children under the age of five.
Similar to the monkeypox virus, infected children have symptoms such as a rash of round, red blisters all over the body, which is extremely painful and contagious.
According to local reports, the disease can cause fatigue, joint pain and stomach cramps, in addition to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, a runny nose and a high temperature.
In some cases, a change in the color of the legs and hands was also observed, along with dryness, which leads to irritation near the mouth.
According to Subhash Chandra, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at Amrita Hospital in Kochi, India, the disease is not fatal but is contagious.
“Patients who contract tomato flu should drink plenty of fluids and rest in bed,” Chandra told Indian media.
Although no deaths from the disease have been recorded so far, doctors are currently working to find out whether the tomato flu is a viral fever, or a later effect of tropical diseases such as chikungunya or dengue fever.