Medical professionals and experts have called ‘Tomato Fever’ a misleading colloquial name for Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. This view came days after Lancet Health Magazine issued an alert on rising cases of Tomato Fever of flu in India.
According to the experts, Tomato Fever is not a scientific name. It is being used loosely to describe the mild viral illness which correctly is called Hand Foot and Mouth Disease.
This name has been given to HFMD as the health magazine claimed that the lesions gradually increase to the size of a tomato, but the experts have shut all these rumors.
“This information is completely baseless, alarming and misleading,” said a medical expert.
Hand Foot and Mouth disease is a viral illness that is caused by a specific virus identified as Coxsackievirus A16. In general, this viral infection affects children in the age group 1-5 years. If a child is suffering from hand mouth and foot disease then they typically suffer from a very high fever. There are small blisters on the palms, soles, buttocks, elbows and knees of the child.
The concern that is rising among the doctors is that as it is being called Tomato Fever by a layman, it might be misleading as people can think that it is caused due to tomatoes which is not at all true.
Many doctors have commented in this regard clarifying the doubt that there is nothing like Tomato Fever, the infection that has come up these days is and should be called Hand Foot and Mouth Disease only.
Co-chairman of IMA's National task force on Covid-19, Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan busted the speculation by saying, "Tomato fever is a misleading name for hand, foot, and mouth disease. HFMD is a mild viral illness commonly affecting children from the age of 1-5 years.”
Dr. Dhiren Gupta, famous Pediatrician of Shri Ganga Ram Hospital said, “The community is just recovering from Covid and is therefore very sensitive and receptive to new endemics. Also, this type of news creates panic.”
Now, the doctors have also clarified that there is nothing like Tomato Fever that exists in the dictionary of Medical Sciences till now.