Tomato fever
Tomato fever, also known as tomato flu, is a viral infection that first emerged in India in May 2022. It is caused by the Coxsackievirus A16 and primarily affects children under five years old, but can also impact immunocompromised adults. The infection is characterized by painful, bright red blisters, fever, fatigue, and body aches, and spreads easily among young children due to their frequent close contact and limited hygiene practices. Initially identified in Kerala, over eighty-two cases were reported within a few months, with additional cases found in neighboring states and even a few in the UK.
Though typically not life-threatening, tomato fever can lead to symptoms that may resemble those of more serious diseases. The illness usually resolves on its own within a week to ten days, with treatment primarily focusing on rest, hydration, and over-the-counter medications to alleviate symptoms. No specific antiviral treatments or vaccines exist for tomato fever, so preventive measures such as good hygiene and isolation of infected individuals are crucial to limit its spread.
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Tomato fever
Tomato fever is a viral infection that first emerged during a 2022 outbreak in India. It is a variant of hand, foot, and mouth disease, which is caused by Coxsackievirus A16 (CA16). Also commonly referred to as tomato flu, the infection primarily affects children younger than five years of age. Tomato fever got its unique name from the painful, bright red blisters that are its most recognizable symptom. Other symptoms include fever, fatigue, and body aches. It spreads easily among young children and immunocompromised adults. First identified in the Indian state of Kerala in May 2022, more than eighty-two children younger than five years were diagnosed with tomato fever in slightly more than two months. In addition, twenty-six cases were confirmed outside Kerala in children ranging from one to nine years old. The illness typically resolves on its own and simple measures like getting plenty of rest, drinking fluids, and taking over-the-counter fever-reducing medicines are usually sufficient to treat symptoms.
Background
Tomato fever is one of many illnesses caused by viral infection. Viruses are small infectious organisms that replicate by invading living cells. Composed of nucleic acid in the form of either DNA or RNA and surrounded by a protective protein coat, a virus attaches itself to and enters a cell, releases its DNA or RNA, and uses that genetic material to take control of the host cell. This allows the virus to use the host cell to reproduce by making copies of itself. In most cases, the host cell ultimately dies, at which point newly created copies of the original virus are released and infect other cells.
Viruses cause all sorts of infectious diseases that range from relatively harmless illnesses like the common cold and chickenpox to life-threatening ailments such as HIV/AIDS, COVID-19, and Ebola. Most viruses specifically infect certain types of cells. As a result, different viruses tend to directly affect different parts of the body. Many viruses target the upper respiratory system and directly impact the nose, throat, and upper airways. Other viruses may target the gastrointestinal, reproductive, or nervous systems.
Viral diseases are often highly contagious because of how easily they can be transmitted from one person to another. Some viruses can survive in the air or on surfaces, which means they can be easily inhaled or ingested. Others can be spread through insect bites or sexual activity. Some can even be transmitted congenitally from a pregnant mother to her developing fetus. All of this means that it is sometimes necessary to take special precautions like wearing a mask or getting vaccinated to help prevent or slow the spread of viruses.
Many possible treatments exist for viral infections. Infections that result only in mild symptoms can often be treated with over-the-counter medications, nasal decongestants, or lozenges. Simple remedies like getting rest and drinking plenty of fluids can also be helpful. More serious viral infections may require treatment with special antiviral drugs designed to fight specific viruses, often by inhibiting their ability to reproduce. Interferons, which are replicas of natural substances that interfere with viral reproduction, and antibodies, which originate in someone who has recovered from a viral infection, are also sometimes used to treat viral infections.
Overview
Tomato fever is a viral infection that emerged in India in mid-2022. The first known case of the infection was diagnosed in Kollam district of the state of Kerala on May 6. In little more than two months, tomato fever had spread beyond Kerala. As of July 26, more than eighty-two children aged five years and younger were diagnosed with the infection in various local government hospitals. Twenty-six cases in children ranging in age from one to nine years old were also diagnosed with tomato fever in the neighboring states of Tamil Nadu and Odisha. A limited number of cases were eventually confirmed in the United Kingdom as well. While most patients diagnosed with tomato fever were children, a number of adults with weakened immune systems were also infected. Young children are particularly susceptible to viral infections because it is difficult to ensure that they observe proper hygiene practices. Also, they may frequently come in contact with contaminated surfaces or put contaminated objects in their mouths.
Shortly after it first appeared, the viral infection came to be commonly known as tomato fever or tomato flu. This name arose from the illness’s most recognizable symptom, bright red blisters that erupt all over patients’ bodies and sometimes grow to the size of a tomato. Other typical symptoms of tomato fever include fever, fatigue, and body aches. Some patients also experience nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, pain and swelling in the joints, or other flu-like symptoms.
Physicians and infectious disease experts initially suspected it could be an after-effect of mosquito-borne diseases like chikungunya or dengue fever, both of which produce similar symptoms in patients. Some experts suggested that tomato fever could be a new variant of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). The latter theory proved to be correct when researchers in the United Kingdom determined that the condition was caused by Coxsackievirus A16. Members of the enterovirus family, coxsackieviruses spread easily from person-to-person via unwashed hands and feces-contaminated surfaces. Infections generally result in symptoms in line with those common to tomato fever. Individuals infected with HFMD typically have a rash on their hands and feet, though it may also appear on skin elsewhere on the body, and sores in their mouths.
Tomato fever is normally not considered life-threatening, and symptoms usually resolve on their own within seven to ten days. As a result, the need for medical intervention is minimal. Treatment is typically limited to rest, appropriate fluid intake, fever-reducing over-the-counter medicines like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, over-the-counter medications aimed at relieving other cold- or flu-like symptoms, and topical creams for treatment of irritation and rashes. No antiviral drugs or vaccines have been developed for the treatment or prevention of tomato fever or other forms of HFMD.
To help prevent the spread of tomato fever, physicians recommend that infected patients should be isolated for about five to seven days from the onset of symptoms. Consistent hand washing, disinfection of surfaces, avoiding close contact with infected individuals, and avoiding touching the face reduce the risk of infection.
Bibliography
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