No case of tomato flu in state yet, but health dept cautious

Bhubaneswar: The spread of tomato flu in states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka has put the Odisha health department on alert. Though no case has been detected here yet, health officials have asked parents to report to a doctor immediately if their kids show any of its symptoms. It includes reddish rashes, cold and cough, fever, nausea, body ache and joint pain.
“We have not found a single case so far. But we are keeping a close watch as the fever is spreading faster among children below five years of age in the affected states. The district headquarters hospitals and health centres have been asked to immediately report any case of tomato flu in their respective areas,” Dr Niranjan Mishra, director of health, said. Mishra also advised parents to take their children to the nearest healthcare facility without delay, if the need arose. He, however, said, “There is no need to panic. The flu has no connection with Covid-19 or a viral fever like chikungunya.”
In the last few days, a large number of children have contracted fever and flu-like symptoms, which is common during summer. “The situation is not alarming in the states with such cases. But since the disease can be transmitted, there is a need to keep a check on the population migrating from there,” Dr Manoranjan Mallik, a medicine specialist, said.