Ministry of Health Records 88 Cases of ‘Monkey Pox’ Mpox, this is the variant spread in RI

Jakarta –

The Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) announced data on the latest confirmed cases of Mpox or monkey pox in Indonesia. On Saturday (17/8/2024), there were 88 confirmed cases of Mpox.

Most cases were recorded in DKI Jakarta with 59 confirmed cases. Then followed by West Java with 13 confirmed cases, Banten with 9 confirmed cases, East Java with 3 confirmed cases, Yogyakarta Special Region with 3 confirmed cases, and Riau Islands with 1 confirmed case.

Of this number, 87 cases were declared cured. If we look at the weekly trend of confirmed Mpox cases in Indonesia from 2022 to 2024, the period with the most cases occurred in October 2023.

The Acting Director General for Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) of the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Dr. Yudhi Pramono, MARS, said that of the 88 confirmed cases, 54 cases met the criteria for whole genome sequencing (WGS) to be performed to determine the virus mutation.

“Of these 54 cases, they are all Clade IIB variants. Most of Clade II spread the Mpox outbreak in 2022 so far with lower deaths and it has largely been transferred from sexual contact,” said Dr. Yudhi at a press conference on the Development of Mpox Cases in Indonesia, Sunday (8/18/2024).

There are two Mpox virus clades, namely Clade I originating from Central Africa (Congo Basin) with subclade 1a. Subclade 1a has a higher case fatality rate (CFR) than other clades and is transmitted through several modes of transmission. Meanwhile, subclade 1b is transmitted mainly from sexual contact with a CFR of 11 percent.

Compared to Clade I, Clade II comes from West Africa with subclades IIa and IIb with a CFR of 3.6 percent. Clade II has a low CFR with cases mostly originating from sexual contact during the 2022 outbreak.

Dr. Prasetyadi Mawardi, SPKK(K), from the Indonesian Association of Dermatology and Venereology Specialists (PERDOSKI) said that Mpox Clade I variants, both 1a and 1b, have not been found in Indonesia. From 2022 until now, the variant found in Indonesia is the Clade II variant.

“On reflection, Clade I has a significantly higher mortality rate than Clade II, and then this variation is usually caused by close contact, not just sexual contact,” he said.

As a prevention effort, the Ministry of Health has conducted research in all health facilities, conducted epidemiological studies with the HIV-AIDS community and partners, established 12 national reference laboratories for tests Mpox, and performed WGS tests.

For medicines, the Ministry of Health has prepared symptomatic treatment, depending on the severity of the case. Patients with mild symptoms can isolate themselves at home under the guidance of the local health center, while patients with severe symptoms must be treated in hospital.

(juice/juice)