India’s federal Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has urged “proper hygiene and sanitization” among children as well as immunocompromised adults in order to check the spread of the "tomato flu," which has been described as a clinical variant of the hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD).
In an advisory issued to the state governments on Tuesday, the Health Ministry said children are prone to tomato flu through the use of nappies, touching dirty surfaces, and putting things in their mouth.
The federal advisory said no specific drug is currently available to treat the “self-limiting” viral infection and urged those who have contracted it to isolate themselves for five to seven days after the onset of symptoms.
According to the advisory, the symptoms include fever, fatigue, body aches, and rashes on the skin, or the same conditions that are associated with other viral infections.
The government said that the tomato flu is in no way related to SARS-CoV2 virus, monkeypox, dengue, or chikungunya. "In fact, recent reports have suggested it to be Coxsackie A 17 that belongs to the group of enteroviruses," it added.
As per the advisory, taking adequate rest, drinking fluids, applying a hot water sponge to soothe the rashes, and the use of “supportive therapy” like taking paracetamol in case of fever could help in alleviating the flu symptoms.
A study published in the medical journal Lancet on August 17 explained that the tomato flu gets its name from the red blisters that appear on the body and eventually enlarge to the size of a tomato.
The Lancet study said the flu may be highly “contagious” and that it could lead to “serious consequences” among adults if its transmission remains unchecked.