High alert in border districts to prevent tomato flu spread: Minister Dr Sudhakar

‎Bengaluru:‎‎ Districts bordering Kerala have been put on high alert to prevent the spread of tomato flu, which has been reported in children in the neighboring state, said health and medical education minister Dr K Sudhakar on Wednesday.

It is an existing endemic disease and there is no need for anyone to panic, the minister added. “There is no connection between COVID and tomato flu,” Dr. Sudhakar said.

Tomato flu virus has been detected after it affected over 80 children in one of the districts in Kerala. The disease is commonly seen in children below the age of 5. Patients exhibit symptoms such as rashes, skin irritation, dehydration, and red blisters.

Dr. Sudhakar said that since cases of the disease have been detected in Kerala, instructions have been issued to Mangaluru, Udupi, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, and Mysuru districts to keep a close watch on anyone arriving from Kerala.‎

‎Outpatient departments of all hospitals have also been instructed to report the children exhibiting Tomato Flu symptoms. A directive has been issued in this regard to all the district health officers by the Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare Department, he added.