Infectious tomato influenza mainly targets young children in India | Abroad

The virus was first identified on May 6 in Kollam District. As of July 26, another 82 children under the age of five have been killed, according to the medical journal “The Lancet.” Meanwhile, children between the ages of 6 and 8 are no exception.

Scientists are now trying to figure out exactly what’s going on. Young children are especially at risk because spread occurs through close contact. Concretely, this happens through diapers, by touching soiled surfaces or by putting objects in the mouth.

The infection is not life threatening. However, with the terrible Corona pandemic in mind, we must remain vigilant. So it’s best to avoid more outbreaks,” says The Lancet.

It is a difficult task for doctors to distinguish the symptoms of Covid-19, chikungunya and dengue fever. The latter two diseases are caused by mosquitoes and are common in India during the rainy season.

Tomato flu cannot be ruled out as a consequence of chikungunya or dengue fever. “But it could also be a new type of hand-foot-and-mouth disease or a hitherto unknown virus,” the Lancet said.

Professor Sunila Garg said: “I agree that mad cow disease and dengue can make children more susceptible to tomato flu.” “After all, their immune system has weakened. So far, no case has been identified in our capital, New Delhi. I am absolutely confident that this would not be a problem.”

The number of coronavirus cases in India has steadily increased in recent weeks. And swine flu is on the rise again. “We were not bothered by the coronavirus, but swine flu is re-emerging in the big cities. The tests are also very expensive, so we don’t really have a picture of the actual scale,” concludes Professor Dilip Mavalankar.