A new viral infection that causes painful red blisters on the skin of young children is spreading in India.
The affliction has been named tomato flu, but doctors are still trying to figure out exactly what the virus is. A total of 82 children children under the age of five had been diagnosed with the infection in the Indian state of Kerala, as of July 26.
There have also been cases detected in two other Indian states. The virus usually infects children below the age of five, but children as old as nine have been diagnosed with the illness, and the symptoms have been compared to that of Covid-19.
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The virus is said to be very infections among young children and quite painful. Children are particularly vulnerable because it spreads easily through close contact such as via nappies, touching unclean surfaces or putting things in mouths.
An article in renowned medical journal Lancet on the new viral infection read: “The rare viral infection is in an endemic state and is considered non-life-threatening; however, because of the dreadful experience of the Covid-19 pandemic, vigilant management is desirable to prevent further outbreaks."
The symptoms of tomato flu are said to be similar to Covid, chikungunya, and dengue fever. The latter two are common in India during the rainy season.
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