Diseases
Cause of so-called tomato fever in India unclear
Hospital in India: The so-called tomato fever has been diagnosed in several dozen children (symbol image). photo
© Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP/dpa
Tomato fever outbreaks have occurred in several dozen children in three states in India. It’s not life-threatening, but scientists warn.
In India, researchers are puzzling over the cause of a clinical picture that has occurred in more than 100 children. With the so-called tomato fever, patients can develop red, painful blisters all over the body, as the scientists write in the journal “The Lancet Respiratory Medicine”.
It is unclear whether it is a variant of hand, foot and mouth disease, an after-effect of the tropical diseases chikungunya or dengue fever or a previously unknown virus. According to the post, other possible symptoms include fever, fatigue, joint pain, nausea and diarrhea.
The disease has so far been reported from three states, according to the “Lancet” journal. After it was first discovered in May in the state of Kerala, 82 children under the age of five were infected there by the end of July. The disease is not life-threatening, the scientists said. But in view of the experiences with the corona pandemic, one should remain vigilant.
The chairman of the board of the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), Jürgen May, expressed reservations when asked by the German Press Agency. He pointed out that the “Lancet” article is not a full professional study. “This is just information about cases observed in India that cannot yet be evaluated scientifically.”