Tomato flu outbreak

2022 - 8 - 25

Post cover — Image courtesy of "The Washington Post"

What is tomato flu? Viral infection is spreading among children in ... (The Washington Post)

Tomato flu, which medical experts say is not considered life-threatening, gets its name from the painful red blisters that enlarge to the size of a tomato.

[hand, foot and mouth disease](https://www.cdc.gov/hand-foot-mouth/index.html), which is common among children under age 5, the Lancet article said. Tomato flu is diagnosed after tests have ruled out dengue, chikungunya, [Zika](https://www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html), chickenpox and herpes. [chikungunya](https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/index.html) or [dengue](https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/symptoms/index.html) rather than a viral infection, according to the article. The blisters resemble those seen on young monkeypox patients. [published](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(22)00300-9/fulltext) last week in the British medical journal Lancet.

A common childhood illness could be behind 'tomato flu' outbreak (New Scientist)

The so-called tomato flu spreading among children in Kerala, India, is probably caused by hand, foot and mouth disease, a common childhood illness that is ...

[dengue](/article/2326879-zika-or-dengue-infections-make-you-more-appealing-to-mosquitoes/) or [chikungunya](/article/dn25214-threatwatch-chikungunya-may-explode-with-rainy-season/), Tang says. “The most important thing is that the kids recover,” Tang says. “Tomato fever is a misleading colloquial name for hand, foot and mouth disease,” Rajeev Jayadevan of the Indian Medical Association [is reported as saying](https://theprint.in/india/tomato-fever-is-misleading-colloquial-name-for-hand-foot-and-mouth-disease-experts/1092761/?amp). [can be a lot of variation in the rashes](https://www.medicaljournals.se/acta/content/html/10.2340/00015555-2853) caused by a single virus, Tang says. These newer lineages [can manifest differently](https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(13)70264-0), he says. It is still one of the most common causes of HFMD. No, there are no treatments but the vast majority of children recover quickly with no long lasting effects. However, this letter presented no evidence and has [been criticised by some other experts](https://twitter.com/angie_rasmussen/status/1561063823166955521?s=20&t=l4g79-3XbUlw5ngSJRX14A). It is also possible that some of the cases are due to the mosquito-borne diseases chikungunya and dengue. “It’s very alarming for parents,” Tang says. It appears that tomato flu is simply a new and misleading name for a common and usually mild childhood disease known as A week after returning, the 13-month-old girl and 5-year-old brother developed a rash consisting of small fluid-filled blisters, with no other symptoms.

What is Tomato Flu? Symptoms, what to know about new virus (al.com)

Health officials are investigating an outbreak of what's known as “Tomato Flu.” Also called Tomato Fever, the first flu was reported in Kerala, ...

In the vast majority of cases, the symptoms of Tomato Flu will subside on their own after a few days with no specific medications. [disease symptoms include fever, eating or drinking less due to sores in the mouth, ](https://www.cdc.gov/hand-foot-mouth/about/signs-symptoms.html)sore throat and feeling unwell. The total number of cases has now topped 100, more than 80% of which are in children below age 5.

Tomato flu outbreak: Three 'primary symptoms' include red and ... (Daily Express)

VIRAL threats appear to be like busses at the moment, the world waits for one, but then five come along at once. In recent years, the UK and other nations ...

What scientists will do is try and work out if treatments for other conditions work at treating or preventing the virus. They added, however, that “no antiviral drugs or vaccines are available for the treatment or prevention of tomato flu. As a result, scientists are doing what they can to learn more about the virus, whether it could be substantial threat, and whether there is any way to treat the virus. However, this does not mean that UK citizens need to be worried about tomato flu. Young children are also prone to this infection through use of nappies, touching unclean surfaces, as well as putting things directly into the mouth.” The latest to enter the fray is tomato flu.

'Tomato flu' outbreak spreads with more than 80 children infected (Metro)

More than 82 children under five were diagnosed with the virus as of July 26, according to the Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal.

The Lancet paper recommends that those infected are isolated for between five and seven days from the onset of symptoms to stop further transmission. Though not considered to be life-threatening, researchers have said it is ‘highly infectious’ and may be a variant of the Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) – but that is yet to be confirmed. Health experts in India are monitoring the outbreak of a new viral infection referred to as tomato flu.

Contagious, No Origin, No Cure. What to Know About Tomato Flu ... (FIJ NG)

The same journal describes the disease as a hand, foot and mouth disease caused by a virus in children who are five years or younger.

The same journal describes the disease as a hand, foot and mouth disease caused by a virus in children who are five years or younger. This is a common infectious disease targeting children who are mostly five year olds or younger. These blisters resemble those seen with the monkeypox virus in young individuals,” the journal explains.

At Least 82 Children Diagnosed With 'Tomato Flu' - Here's What ... (iHeartRadio)

Health experts are currently monitoring the outbreak of a mysterious, 'highly infectious' disease. | iHeart.

Hand, foot and mouth disease commonly affects children between the ages of 1 and 5 years old -- as well as immunocompromised adults -- and children are believed to be at an increased risk of exposure to the "tomato virus." The initial two cases of "tomato flu" are reported to have been spread through mosquitos, according to researchers. Scientists have said that the disease appears to be a non-life threatening variant of hand, foot and mouth disease, however, the claims have not yet been confirmed as they continue to work toward identifying exactly what the virus is.