The Indonesian government must immediately be aware of the spread of the infectious disease Monkeypox which has recently shocked the world. The virus has even spread to Singapore. Singapore’s Ministry of Health has recently confirmed the country’s first case of monkeypox.
A spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Health, dr. Mohammad Syahril, Sp.P, MPH said there have been no reported cases of monkeypox in Indonesia. However, the Ministry of Health continues to take several precautions to prevent transmission in Indonesia.
“Until now there have been no reported cases (of monkeypox) from Indonesia,” he said at a virtual press conference in Jakarta, some time ago.
The Ministry of Health has also released a circular to increase vigilance in each region through the health office, port health office, and hospitals. A revision of the guidelines for the prevention and control of monkeypox was also carried out to adapt to the situation and new information from WHO, particularly regarding surveillance, clinical management, risk communication, and laboratory management.
What Is Monkeypox?
Monkeypox is caused by the human monkeypox virus (MPXV) orthopoxvirus from the poxviridae family which is highly pathogenic or zoonotic. This virus was first discovered in monkeys in 1958, while the first cases in humans (children) occurred in 1970.
According to the government of Singapore, the first monkeypox case came from a 38-year-old Nigerian who arrived on April 28 and tested positive for the monkeypox virus on May 8.
According to The WHO, 23 countries reported a total of 257 confirmed cases and roughly 120 suspected cases under investigation as of May 26 — a rapid accumulation of cases in an unprecedented outbreak that was first detected earlier this month.
Most of the cases have been diagnosed in Europe and North America. The United States had detected 12 cases as of Friday (27/5).
This virus usually begins with flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, chills, headache, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes. Then it develops into a body rash which is characterized by the appearance of lumps that turn into pus-filled blisters which eventually dry up and fall off.
Furthermore, the fatality rate of the virus is estimated between 1-10%. Thus, The majority of the cases have been detected in men who have sex with men.
According to the statnews, The WHO is asking countries to look for missed cases when they do contact tracing, most of the cases being reported are active. It means they currently have symptoms, Maria Van Kerkhove, who leads the emerging diseases and zoonoses unit in the WHO’s Health Emergencies Program, told STAT.
