Alert has been sounded in districts abutting Kerala over ‘tomato flu’ outbreak in the neighbouring State.
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Tomato flu is a viral disease, which causes red rashes, skin irritation, and dehydration. The fever is affecting children below the age of five in Kerala.
In this background, the border districts of the State — Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, and Mysuru — have been directed to keep a vigil on daily travellers from Kerala and also monitor children for any of the signs and symptoms in OPDs of health institutions.
Karnataka Health Minister K. Sudhakar, however, clarified that there is no need to panic. “Though some symptoms are similar to COVID-19, the tomato flu has nothing to do with COVID-19. Moreover, tomato flu is endemic to Kerala,” the Minister said.