Over 100 cases of ‘tomato flu’ have been reported in Assam in the last month, raising concerns for the health department. The ‘Tomatu flu’ is a new variant of hand, foot, and mouth disease.
Assam’s Dibrugarh district has reported the greatest number of cases.
The health department has advised the districts to keep affected children isolated for seven days. District health officials have also been directed to monitor the paediatric outpatient departments of district hospitals in order to find cases as early as possible.
However, the state’s health agency has yet to officially compile the number of confirmed cases.
A previous advisory, shared by the health authorities, had stated that except from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Odisha, no other region in the country had reported tomato flu until August 23.
Though several viruses can cause the disease, health department insiders say ‘Coxsackie’ is to blame for its growth in regions such as Assam. Coxsackie is spread from person to person, through infected surfaces, and even through the air.
According to health experts, no specific medications to treat the virus exist at this time, and the disease is ‘very contagious.’