SIMPLY PUT: All you need to know to keep yourself safe from the newly emerging diseases

Is it just us or does it feel like we are all starring in Stranger Things and living in ‘the Upside Down’? We sure are living in stranger times and dealing with unpredictable plot twists almost every other day.

On August 24, 2022, India reported 10,649 new cases of the novel coronavirus.

While the once-novel disease keeps coming back in waves, it isn’t the only one that the country is battling today. New diseases such as monkeypox and tomato flu are also plaguing the whole world.


Tomato flu: Symptoms and precaution

A new infection named Tomato flu has been reported from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Odisha. It is now determined to be a clinical variant of the hand-foot-mouth disease, caused by a group of enteroviruses or viruses transmitted through the intestine. Over 82 children below the age of five years have been reportedly infected with the disease.

As per Lancet Respiratory Medicine, tomato flu could also ‘be a new variant of the viral hand, foot, and mouth disease, a common infectious disease targeting mostly children aged 1–5 years and immunocompromised adults.’

The infection results in tomato-shaped blisters on the body and causes skin irritation, dehydration, joint pain, diarrhoea, nausea, discolouration of hands, knees and buttocks, vomiting, and fatigue.

While it is yet to be ascertained if it affects only children, the Union Health Ministry has issued a set of guidelines on how to protect children from the infection and its treatment course.

In children with these symptoms, the advisory said, ‘molecular and serological tests are done for diagnosis of dengue, chikungunya, zika virus, varicella-zoster virus, and herpes; once these viral infections are ruled out, a diagnosis of tomato flu is considered’.

If you develop some of these symptoms, the first and foremost thing to do is consult a doctor immediately. The guidelines also state that if children develop symptoms, they should be isolated. Their belongings such as utensils, clothing and bedding must be regularly sanitised. Children should also stay hydrated, and the blisters caused by the infection must be cleaned with warm water. The infected person must avoid scratching the rashes or blisters.

With the schools reopening, one must proceed with caution and not panic because the situation is not alarming yet.

Monkeypox: Origin and symptoms

First discovered in 1958 in the colonies of monkeys kept for research, monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease.

The first human case of monkeypox was reported from Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1970. Monkeypox virus primarily occurs in Central and West Africa. In 2003, the first monkeypox outbreak outside of Africa was reported in the United States of America which was linked to contact with infected pet prairie dogs. These pets had been housed with Gambian pouched rats and dormice that had been imported into the country from Ghana.

Monkeypox starts with an unexplained acute rash. Other symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, body aches and profound weakness.

As of August 24, there were 9 active cases of monkeypox in India, with 4 in Delhi and 5 in Kerala.

If infected, patients are advised to isolate to prevent further transmission, while the authorities have been advised to provide optimal clinical care, identify and manage contacts, protect frontline health workers, take effective control and preventive measures based on the identified routes of transmission.

Swine flu

Swine flu is not a new outbreak, it had first appeared in 2015 and Rajasthan and Gujarat were among the worst-hit states. Around 218 people had succumbed to the flu back in 2015.

With the current weather, cases of swine flu or H1N1 flu and monsoon-related diseases are on the rise again in Maharashtra. In July, a total of 6 deaths were reported from Mumbai – 2 deaths// each// were caused by dengue and swine flu and 1 death each due to malaria and leptospirosis. During the same period, Mumbai reported 35 swine flu cases.

Zika virus

In July, cases of Zika virus were silently spreading across Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Punjab and Delhi.

Zika virus spreads mostly through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes and causes fever, headache, joint pain, red eyes, muscle pain and rash. Experts recommend that the only way to curb the spread is to control breeding of mosquitoes, which commonly happens in stagnant water.

As the world grapples with new variants of Covid-19, tomato flu and monkeypox, There are 200 more active viruses, and bacteria in the air, thanks to climate change, said a report by Nature Climate Change. It could only worsen in years to come.

The research revealed that warming, precipitation, floods, drought, storm, land cover change, ocean climate change, fires, heatwaves and sea level changes were all found to influence diseases triggered by viruses, bacteria, animals, fungi, protozoans, plants and chromists. Pathogenic diseases were primarily transmitted by vectors.

So, to stay safe, mask up people!

Disclaimer: This content, including the advice, provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Please contact a medical professional for more information.