Monkey Pox Cases in Indonesia on the Rise: Prevention and Treatment Information

JawaPos.com – Cases of monkey pox or monkeypox in Indonesia continue to experience a significant increase, as of November 12 2023, there have been 44 positive cases recorded.

This was stated by the Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), regarding the current conditions which are getting worse because the stock of monkey pox vaccine (mpox) is still limited and expensive.

For this reason, one solution to prevent infection with this rare virus from animals (zoonosis) is by not having risky sexual relations.

“Because currently vaccines are very limited and quite expensive, it is best to avoid risky sexual practices, especially if you know that your sexual partner has symptoms of mpox, don’t have sex and immediately isolate yourself,” said Head of the Indonesian Ministry of Health’s Communication and Information Bureau, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, as quoted from BETWEEN in Jakarta, Monday (13/11).

He explained that the risk group in question includes people who have sex with multiple partners and have multiple partners, especially same-sex sex. Generally, cases of monkey pox often occur due to same-sex sexual relations.

Siti Nadia Tarmizi also appealed to the public if they see or feel symptoms of mpox to immediately isolate themselves. Additionally, people at high risk should immediately get vaccinated to protect themselves from this disease.

Also Read: Bali Health Office Coordinates Monkey Pox Issue with Bisexual Community

“If we have symptoms of mpox, immediately report to a health facility and isolate. Those at risk need to get vaccinated immediately,” he said.

He also revealed that monkey pox could spread to other provinces because this disease is contagious.

However, people don’t need to worry too much because the transmission of mpox is much slower than COVID-19. Usually it can be transmitted through direct or indirect contact, so the spread tends to be slower.

According to the Ministry of Health, people with confirmed cases of monkey pox usually occur during same-sex sexual relations, especially in men who also suffer from comorbid conditions such as HIV and syphilis.

Symptoms of monkey pox generally start with a headache, followed by fever with a body temperature of more than 38 degrees Celsius, sore throat, and enlarged lymph nodes.

After that, the skin rash will appear within one to three days. This rash is usually red and spreads over various parts of the body such as the arms, genital area and legs.

The symptoms of monkey pox are different from chicken pox, which is often characterized by a high fever of up to 39 degrees Celsius and a rash that appears in large numbers and varies, such as nodules, bumps, and these symptoms can appear in various phases.

The Ministry of Health has provided 4,500 doses of monkey pox vaccine and 1,008 vials of the antiviral tecovirimat as an effort to treat patients.

The availability of this vaccine is expected in the fourth week of November 2023 as a step to overcome mpox cases in Indonesia.

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2023-11-14 00:41:00
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