Lancet warns about 'Tomato Flu', a highly infectious disease affecting children

According to Lancet Respiratory Journal, cases of 'tomato flu' were first reported in Kerala's Kollam and May 6.

Now the state has reported the illness in 82 children.

These kids are under the age of 5, the Lancet report further said.

"Just as we are dealing with the probable emergence of fourth wave of Covid-19, 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 said in its report.

This disease is mainly found in children and adults, having developed a stronger immune system, are usually not affected

It is caused by intestinal viruses which cause red, painful blisters that appear on a patient's body and gradually enlarge to the size of a tomato.

The symptoms include high fever, body ache, joint swelling and fatigue - much like chikungunya. Some patients have also reported nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, dehydration, swollen joints and body aches.

According to Lancet, other affected areas in Kerala are Anchal, Aryankavu, and Neduvathur. It also said that the surfacing of this illness even triggered an alert in the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

"Additionally, 26 children (aged 1-9 years) have been reported as having the disease in Odisha by the Regional Medical Research Centre in Bhubaneswar. To date, apart from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha, no other regions in India have been affected by the virus," the Lancet report said.

There are no drugs to treat this illness, medical experts have said and the disease is self-limiting.

They also warned that the infection is very contagious.