Researchers in India are sounding the alarm over what they describe as a " novel " disease dubbed “ tomato flu ” or “ tomato febricity . ” Causing red blisters that can expatiate to the size of a small tomato plant , the cause of the catching disease is presently nameless , although some researcher suspect it might be related to other diseases known to spread in the area .
Writing in the Lancet journalRespiratory Medicine , the trio of scientists report that over 100 children younger than 5 year have fall unhinged with the infection in the Indian states of Kerala and Odisha . After first being identify on May 6 in the Kollam district of Kerala , it ’s since been describe in a identification number of small town in the state , as well as the city of Bhubaneswar in Odisha .
Kids with tomato fever are said to see an array of grippe - alike symptoms , including fever and body aches , but the most prominent feature film is “ the eruption of red and painful blisters throughout the body that step by step enlarge to the size of it of a Lycopersicon esculentum . ”
The report says that the disease is “ very contagious ” , although it looks like non - life threatening and comparatively mild , lasting seven to 10 days .
“ At the moment it looks like the virus is meek and go away on its own , but most people who have had this infection are immature , and we do n’t really know what might pass off in an immunocompromised person or if it spreads to elderly people . At the moment it is still isolated and does n’t seem to have spread beyond India , " Professor Vasso Apostolopoulos , written report author and Immunology & Translational Group Leader at Victoria University , aver in astatement .
Tomato febricity is diagnosed once tests have reassert the contagion is not dengue , chikungunya , Zika virus , chickenpox - zoster virus , or herpes virus . However , as the discipline head out , the symptoms could possibly be related to other disease that are n’t being tested for , including hand , foot , and mouth disease .
Details on the disease are otherwise moderately thin . While public health consistence are keeping an eye on the spread of cases , scientist are yet to isolate and break down the pathogen , which is dead vital if this mystic contagion is to be fully understand and see .
Until more is known , self-governing scientist say that people should remain calm but cautious .
“ It is unclear if these outbreaks are cause by a single virus or more than one virus . pressing laboratory examination and genotyping of any virus discover is therefore require to confirm whether Tomato Flu is in fact a raw virus,”commentedAshley Quigley , a Senior Research Associate in Global Biosecurity at the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales , who was n’t involved in the report .
“ In light of the COVID-19 pandemic , hypervigilance and improvement in surveillance techniques and reporting may be picking up more infections , however the long - term gist of COVID-19 could pass to an increment in sickness in an already weakened immune system and so we need to be cautious until more is known about this contagion , " added Quigley .
