Covid-19, Monkeypox, tomato fever – India has its hands full with these outbreaks and more

India has reported over six confirmed cases of Monkeypox so far — three from Kerala, two from Delhi and one in Karnataka. However, cases may be spreading unchecked in the country, Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of IMA’s national task force on Covid-19, told news agency IANS.

The virus, which was first reported in May this year, has now spread to 78 countries, with more than 18,000 cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Many more cases are expected in India. Imagine that the current outbreak of monkeypox is like a large tree that is growing underneath the Earth’s surface. You can’t see it over the soil but it’s spreading unchecked under the surface,” Jayadevan said.

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.

The flu has re-emerged in parts of Maharashtra in July and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued an advisory asking residents to take adequate precautionary measures to avoid contracting the influenza.

The number of cases of swine flu has climbed to 64 in Maharashtra, mostly reported in Mumbai city.

“Monsoons tend to be the peak season for influenza in India. In addition, several viral respiratory tract infections appear to peak during this time of the year,” said Dr Lancelot Pinto, epidemiologist and pulmonologist from Hinduja Hospital.

Another disease that has been spreading in the country is Tomato fever. Around 80 cases of the disease have been reported in Kerala and in the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Health officials have warned of a possible rise in cases and advised caution against the disease.

Also known as ‘tomato flu’, it causes rashes or blisters, skin irritation and dehydration. However, the debate about its cause continues as experts try to decide if it is a viral fever or an after effect of chikungunya or dengue fever.

Other symptoms of this illness include change in the colour of hands or legs, fatigue, coughing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach cramps, joint pain, headache, and body soreness.

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

Detection of cases in new states confirmed the virus transmission, according to the study by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Cases were reported in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu in 2017 and then in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh the following year.

Zika virus spreads mostly by the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes. These mosquitoes are active during both day and night. Experts recommend that the only way to curb the spread is to control breeding of mosquitoes, which commonly happens in stagnant water.

The virus causes a mild or asymptomatic infection in most of the cases. The common symptoms are fever, rash, headache, joint pain, red eyes and muscle pain.

Cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) were recently reported in pre-primary children in some Uttarakhand schools. However, doctors advised not to panic but to be ‘proactive’.

“The fact is viral infections tend to peak during monsoon every year, which brings rise in cases of other viral disorders like HFMD, chicken pox, measles, etc. So there’s no need to panic but the need of the hour is being proactive. Diseases like chickenpox, measles and HFMD have symptoms of rashes on skin along with blisters,” Dr Vikas Sharma, Chief Consultant Dermatologist and Dermatolaser Surgeon, National Skin Hospital, Mansa Devi Complex, told Indian Express.

The disease is common among young children, especially children under 5 years of age and it can last for around 7-14 days.

The disease spreads fast in humid climates. It can spread directly from person-to-person through the mouth, secretions from the nose, mouth, or saliva.

Several states like Odisha are dealing with diarrhoea cases amid Covid-19. Around 17 people in Odisha and 9 in Arunachal Pradesh have died so far.

Odisha's Health Minister Naba Kishore Das informed the assembly on Monday that 432 people have been infected, with 17 deaths. It was first reported in Kashipur block of Rayagada district on July 13, and 10 people had died due to the disease in that region.

According to WHO, diarrhoeal disease is the second leading cause of death in children aged under five.