LUCKNOW: The government of Uttar Pradesh has issued an advisory on tomato flu that is identified by the symptom of tomato-shaped blisters.

"The greatest method of prevention is to keep the environment clean and maintain proper hygiene. Children should not embrace or touch other children who are showing signs of a fever or rash, say their parents "reads the advisory that the department of infectious diseases and vector-borne diseases has issued to each of the Chief Medical Officers (CMO) of the state's 75 districts.

Adults can contract the illness, but children under the age of 10 are more frequently affected. 

The tomato flu has symptoms that are comparable to those of other viral infections (fever, fatigue, body aches, and rashes), but it is unrelated to SARS-CoV2, monkeypox, dengue, or chikungunya.

"The main signs and symptoms are similar to other viral infections in children, including fever, skin rashes, and joint pain. There is no specific medication to treat tomato flu because it is a self-limiting condition. The best course of action is to follow preventative measures for good hygiene "said Dr. Abhishek Shukla, the association of international doctors' secretary general.

The alert also includes instructions on how to transfer samples from suspected instances to the lab.

"We have circulated the advisory to all medical institutes, including the KGMU, SGPGI, district level hospitals, and private hospitals to follow the protocol," said Manoj Agrawal, CMO of Lucknow. On May 6, the Kollam district of Kerala received word of the country's first case of tomato flu.

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