Tomato Flu in Kerala: What is Tomato Flu? Symptoms, Treatment and Precautions |

TOMATO flu in Kerala: Tomato flu originated in Kerela. The flu gets its name because of the red blister it causes. It mainly affects children below age 5.

Symptoms of Tomato Flu: rashes, skin irritation and dehydration. According to several reports, the flu can also cause tiredness, joint pain, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, high fever, and body ache. In some cases, it may also change the colour of the legs and the hands.

Reasons: still unknown but mainly viral disease.

Affected areas: around 80 children were affected in the Kollam district of Kerala, and Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore is on high alert.

Treatment: This flu is a self-limiting one and there is no specific drug for this. This means that the symptoms will resolve overtime on their own if supportive care is given like fluid intake to counter dehydration and hygiene.

Precaution: As the disease is contagious, the patient needs to be isolated so that other children do not get affected.

Indian schemes and programmes to tackle communicable diseases in India

India has National Centre for Disease Control for controlling emerging and reemerging diseases. The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), formerly the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), had its origin as the Central Malaria Bureau, established at Kasauli (Himachal Pradesh) in 1909
Following Programmes have been launched under National Centre for Disease Control:
1. Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP)
2. National Programme for Containment of Anti-Microbial Resistance
3. National Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Programme
4. Strengthening Inter-sectoral coordination for prevention and control of Zoonotic Diseases of Public Health Importance
5. National Rabies control programme
6. Programme for prevention and control of Leptospirosis