The person is Michael Le Page.

A child with symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease

A common childhood illness is hand, foot and mouth disease.

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There have been reports of a disease called "tomato flu" affecting a few children in India. It appears that tomato flu is a new and misleading name for a disease that is usually mild in childhood. There is a chance that some of the cases are due to the diseases.

What do we know about tomato flu?

There isn't much. There have been various media reports about the cases in the state but, so far, there is only one published report of test results.

The two children had just returned to the UK from India, where they had been playing with another child who had just had a case oftomato flu. A rash consisting of small fluid-filled blisters was developed by a 13-month-old girl and her 5-year-old brother after they returned from a trip.

The children were found to have a coxsackieviruses, which is the cause of hand, foot and mouth Disease. It's possible that tomato flu could be a form of the disease.

Tang says that hand, foot and mouth has been around for hundreds of years. I was confused by the media storm.

The doctors in India agree. According to the Indian Medical Association,Tomato fever is a misleading name for a disease.

So it’s not a new virus after all?

It's not. The letter that was published in The Lancet described it as a newviruses. The letter did not present any evidence and has been criticized by other experts.

It seems like it ignores the facts and the information already known for the disease and tries to paint an alarming picture.

According to Tang, it is possible that some of the children in the state ofKERALA have had tomato flu. Some children with tomato flu have had symptoms that include a rash, a cold and joint pain. The symptom of tomato flu is fluid-filled blisters, but that is not caused by the two diseases.

And it’s nothing to do with flu or tomatoes?

It is not possible to say yes. The enteroviruses that cause the coxsackieviruses are not related to the ones that cause the flu.

Why did some doctors in Kerala think it’s a new disease?

It's not clear. There can be a lot of variations in the rash caused by a single virus. New enteroviruses have spread around the world in recent years. He says newer lineages can be different. The coxsacksie A6 can cause large blisters.

Tang says it is worrisome for parents. It is possible that some of the doctors in the state are not familiar with the new manifestations.

You won't be aware of the evolution of this illness unless you work in the field and follow it closely.

The coxsackie A16 virus was found in the two children in the UK, which is one of the older lines. One of the most common causes of the disease is it.

There has been a surge of infections in India after children returned to school.

Are there any treatments for HFMD?

Most children recover quickly with no long-term effects. There are a few children who develop serious problems such as encephalitis and acute flaccid paralysis.

The most important thing is for the children to recover. Few get severe disease and few are left with scars.

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  • public health
  • infectious diseases