Tomato fever grips Kerala, Tamil Nadu steps up vigil on border

Three teams have been deployed at each check post to prevent children with rashes and blisters from entering the state, IANS reported citing a Tamil Nadu health department official.

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu has stepped up its vigil on all check posts bordering Kerala after it recorded cases of tomato fever among kids, the IANS reported on Friday (May 13, 2022). A Tamil Nadu health department official said that three teams have been deployed at each check post to prevent children with rashes and blisters from entering the state.

Health, police, and revenue officials have been deployed at Walayar check-post from Palakkad district, Kalliyakavali from Thiruvananthapuram and at Theni check posts to scan children aged below five, an IANS report said.

According to reports, several districts in Kerala are witnessing tomato flu cases in children.

What is tomato flu?

Tomato flu is a rare viral disease and the disease gets its name from the blisters it causes, which look like tomatoes It causes red-coloured rashes, skin irritation, and dehydration.

Symptoms of tomato fever?

The main symptom of tomato fever is large blisters the size of tomatoes which are red in colour. Other symptoms include high fever, body ache, joint swelling, and fatigue - much like chikungunya. The infected person can also have symptoms of dehydration, stomach pain, diarrhea and nausea, and vomiting.

(With agency inputs)