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Monkeypox Virus Disease Outbreak: Key Differences From Tomato Fever, Symptoms, and Preventions

Written By HealthKart
Medically Reviewed By Dr. Aarti Nehra

Tomato Fever vs Monkeypox

Monkeypox and tomato fever are two highly communicable diseases, just like coronavirus. In 2022, a sudden outbreak of tomato fever was reported in the Kollam district of Kerala, with 82 people infected with this virus. At the same time, a monkeypox virus disease outbreak was reported, with 23 cases and one casualty. Moreover, a fresh case of monkeypox recently reported in India (September 2024), where a 38-year-old has been diagnosed with this condition, raising the alarms once again.  

Through this article, let’s understand what monkeypox is and how it is different from tomato fever.

What is Monkeypox Disease?

The monkeypox virus disease outbreak causes monkeypox disease and is a viral zoonosis, unlike tomato viral fever, which happens because of Coxsackievirus A-6 and A-16 of the group Enterovirus. This disease primarily affects rodents, such as mice, rats, or non-human primates, like monkeys, but it can also happen to humans. Before the outbreak in India, monkeypox disease had infected people in central and western Africa.

Symptoms of Monkeypox Disease

Monkeypox symptoms are very similar to smallpox but are less severe than it. As per WHO, some monkeypox symptoms include the below:

  • Rashes
  • Fever
  • Intense headache
  • Muscle aches
  • Low energy
  • Back pain
  • Swollen lymph nodes. 

How is Monkeypox Disease Treated?

The first line of monkeypox treatment is to isolate the person and keep them under monitoring or observation, and the treatment plan depends on the monkeypox symptoms. Although not severe, some patients may also experience complications and the treatment plan will vary accordingly.

What You Need to Know About Tomato Fever

This fever is a viral infection and a hand, foot, and mouth disease variant (HFMD). Mostly, kids under the age of five are affected by this virus. The tomato fever symptoms are very similar to coronavirus, dengue, monkeypox, and chikungunya, making its diagnosis difficult. People often confuse this fever with monkeypox disease, as the symptoms are identical, such as getting a rash and fever.

Tomato Fever Symptoms

Some tomato fever symptoms in kids are skin rash, high fever, intense joint pain, and painful red-coloured blisters that grow as big as a tomato. It is mistaken for monkeypox because of the blisters (the same are seen in young people infected with that virus). Some other symptoms of this fever are nausea, fatigue, diarrhoea, vomiting, dehydration, body aches, swelling of joints, and common influenza-like symptoms.

Tomato Fever Treatment

Children or adults, when they get infected with tomato fever, they must be isolated for the next 5 – 7 days. The person should be isolated appropriately to ensure the viral fever does not spread to anyone else and take necessary precautions as the doctors recommend for tomato fever treatment.

Within 48 hours of the illness, the doctors may collect samples of the respiratory, faecal, or cerebrospinal fluid (in cases of encephalitis or brain inflammation) to diagnose.

How is Monkeypox Different from Tomato Fever?

Tomato flu, or fever, is predominantly a hand, foot, and mouth disease that affects the soles, palms, and oral cavity. You may also see rashes on thighs and buttocks, but getting these rashes all over the body is pretty uncommon. It is not a very serious illness and is often self-limited with just isolation.

Monkeypox, on the other hand, will have rashes all over the body from head to toe. You will see these rashes on the face, palms, genital area, and soles. In this case, the skin rashes are also very different. It can start with flat red patches and small raised bumps and later convert to pus-filled blisters. The rash generally starts 1-3 days after fever onset and can stay for 2-4 weeks, leaving behind scars.

Final Words

Tomato fever and the monkeypox virus disease outbreak, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, have made people scared and worried about their loved ones. This is also because the symptoms of these highly infectious diseases are quite identical, making it difficult to guess what the person may be suffering from. It may make it difficult to diagnose and treat if it’s unclear, eventually prolonging the illness and spreading it further. The differences mentioned above will help you distinguish between tomato flu and monkeypox.

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