Monkeypox Monkeypox Case Appears in Saudi Arabia

Previously reported, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia Mohammad Syahril said that so far no cases of monkeypox or monkeypox have been found in the country.

“For Indonesia, thank God, there are currently no cases (of monkeypox),” said Syahril at a press conference at the Ministry of Health, Friday (24/6).

Even so, several regions in Indonesia have reported suspected cases. After further investigation, it was concluded that none of them had met the criteria for suspect or probable.

The total suspected cases are 9. Of the 9 people, 7 of them tested negative after the orthopoxviridae PCR test, 1 was diagnosed with Bullous Pemphigoid (a rare skin disease that attacks the immune system), and 1 other person had Varicella or chickenpox.

According to Syahril, monkeypox is a zoonotic disease that was first discovered in Denmark in 1958. At that time there were two cases of smallpox that appeared in monkeys kept for research activities. Because it occurs in apes or monkeys, this disease is called monkeypox.

Monkeypox first affected humans in 1970 in the Republic of the Congo. After that, the disease became endemic in West and Central Africa, namely Cameroon, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Gabon, and South Sudan.

However, this disease is starting to become a topic of discussion among experts and the public. The reason is, since May 13, 2022, several non-endemic countries have also reported cases of monkeypox.

The disease has now been found in 28 countries with 1,536 suspected cases in Africa and 1,285 confirmed cases in Europe, America and Australia.

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