India’s Health Ministry has issued an advisory after more than 100 cases of tomato flu were reported in children younger than 10.
The first case of the highly contagious infection, a variant of hand, foot and mouth disease, was reported on May 6 in the city of Kollam in the southern state of Kerala.
It has since spread to states including neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Haryana in the north.
At least 26 children have been infected in eastern Odisha state, the Regional Medical Research Centre in Bhubaneswar said.
“The disease, which seems to be a variant of hand, foot and mouth disease, occurs mainly in children under 10 years of age, but it can occur in adults too,” the ministry advisory said.
“Infants and young children are also prone to this infection through the use of nappies, touching unclean surfaces, as well as putting things directly into the mouth."
What is tomato flu?
The disease is named after the painful red blisters that form on the bodies of infected people. The blisters can grow to the size of a tomato.
Sores also appear on the tongue, gums and inside of the cheeks.
While the blisters may resemble monkeypox, it is not related to the virus.
Tomato flu usually begins with mild fever, a loss of appetite and a sore throat.
Other symptoms include fatigue, vomiting, diarrhoea, dehydration, swollen joints and body aches, British medical journal The Lancet has said.
Children are at an increased risk because viral infections are common among their age group, it said.
"My daughter has blisters all over her body ... it is painful, but she is now recovering. The situation lasted for five days," Sanchi Abbi, whose daughter is 5, told The National.
Isolation and treatment
Tomato flu is a self-limiting illness and there is no specific drug to treat it.
Doctors have said patients should isolate for a week to prevent it from spread. Paracetamol can be used to treat the fever and body aches, while patients should also have plenty of fluids.
Items including toys, clothes and food touched by someone with the disease should not be shared with others.
“The best solution for prevention is to maintain proper hygiene and sanitise the surrounding environment,” the advisory said.
The disease is diagnosed by molecular and serological tests used to detect infections such as chikungunya, Zika, herpes and dengue.
Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, an infectious diseases expert and former president of the Indian Medical Association of Cochin in Kerala, said that the name tomato flu was misleading and that there was no reason for panic.
“This is a common viral illness commonly affecting young children and has been around for a long time,” he told The National.
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
Day 4, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage appeared to have been hard done by when he had his dismissal of Sami Aslam chalked off for a no-ball. Replays suggested he had not overstepped. No matter. Two balls later, the exact same combination – Gamage the bowler and Kusal Mendis at second slip – combined again to send Aslam back.
Stat of the day Haris Sohail took three wickets for one run in the only over he bowled, to end the Sri Lanka second innings in a hurry. That was as many as he had managed in total in his 10-year, 58-match first-class career to date. It was also the first time a bowler had taken three wickets having bowled just one over in an innings in Tests.
The verdict Just 119 more and with five wickets remaining seems like a perfectly attainable target for Pakistan. Factor in the fact the pitch is worn, is turning prodigiously, and that Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers have also been finding the strip to their liking, it is apparent the task is still a tough one. Still, though, thanks to Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed, it is possible.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
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