Tomato flu: Tamil Nadu district heightens vigil on Kerala border

COIMBATORE: With Kerala reporting cases of tomato flu, the health department has beefed up surveillance on the district border to keep the virus at bay.
According to an official source, a team of police, health and revenue department officials has been deputed at Walayar check post round-the-clock to screen the people coming from Kerala.

Tomato flu is a rare kind of viral fever that mainly affects children aged below five years. “The infected children will develop rashes and skin irritation, which may cause boils on the body. In India, only Kollam in Kerala has reported tomato flu cases,” said a health department official.
Regarding the screening activity at Walayar check post, the official said the team would check if the children, who were travelling to the district from Kerala, were having symptoms of tomato flu. “The children with symptoms will be isolated for a few days, since it is a self-limiting disease.”
Dr P Aruna, deputy director of health services, said the district hasn’t reported any cases of tomato flu so far. “We are creating awareness on the disease in schools and anganwadis close to the Kerala border by roping in anganwadi workers and Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram team.”
She advised the parents to take the children to the healthcare facilities, if they exhibit any symptoms of tomato flu.
With the district recording rain for the past two days, the health department has advised the public to drink only hot water and not to take self-medication if they develop fever-like symptoms.