‘Tomato fever’ makes news again as Kerala doctors reproach the Lancet report

The British Medical Journal reported on September 13 that The Lancet has refused to publish a letter by doctors from Kerala, urging that the ‘unscientific article’ be retracted

The recent Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) outbreak in Kerala gained international traction when the reputed British medical journal, The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, chose to publish a letter by Chavda et al on August 17 that “a new virus known as tomato flu, or tomato fever, has emerged in India in the State of Kerala”

The story was carried widely by every media, prompting the Union Health Ministry to issue a circular to the State’s Health department.

The incident is making headlines yet again, this time with another venerable medical journal, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) reporting on September 13 that The Lancet has refused to publish a letter by doctors from Kerala, urging that the “unscientific article“ be retracted

R. Aravind, the Head of Infectious Diseases, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, said that he, along with two other doctors, Tony Lawrence and Mariyam Alex, had written to The Lancet, on August 28, clearly listing the reasons why the article by Chavda et al was misleading and requesting the editorial board “to retract this unscientific article at the earliest with a proper clarification to its audience”.

Also read: Lancet warns about ‘Tomato Flu’ in India among children

They pointed out that “tomato fever” is nothing but HFMD and that “it is neither a new virus nor a rare disease and neither did it originate in Kerala as the authors have stated”.

However, on September 6 they received information from the Editor of Lancet Respiratory Medicine, rejecting their letter, Dr. Aravind said.