Preventing Monkey Pox from Becoming an Epidemic: Expert Urges Swift Tracing and Action

Illustration: Mini tube of monkey pox virus test results, illustration taken on Monday (23/5/2022). (Antara/Dado Ruvic)

KBR, Jakarta – Epidemiologist from Australia’s Griffith University Dicky Budiman encouraged the government to move quickly to detect and act tracing cases of monkey pox or Monkey pox (Mpox). If treatment is slow, he is worried that cases will continue to spread and increase, becoming an epidemic.

An epidemic is an infectious disease that spreads quickly over a large area and causes many victims. As of yesterday, the Ministry of Health reported that there were 21 confirmed cases of monkey pox.

“Then quarantine isolation includes ring vaccination. If this is not done, this will make this disease tend to continue to spread and multiply and ultimately become an epidemic that is difficult to control. So that is what the government must do by also involving NGOs, NGOs, “who has actually been actively involved in HIV,” said Dicky to KBR, Sunday (29/10/2023).

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Dicky said that the distribution pattern of Mpox is similar to HIV. He said, Mpox transmission must be through close contact over a fairly intense period of time.

He explained that Mpox disease originates from animals or zoonoses which have long been endemic in Africa. Before Mpox became an epidemic and left the endemic zone in Africa, transmission was mostly from animals to humans. Human-to-human transmission is still relatively limited.

“Now what is worrying is that people or especially this group will continue to spread uncontrollably or in an orderly manner silent hidden, this virus will mutate so that it will be more effective in transmitting between humans,” said Dicky.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Health spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi said there were no obstacles to vaccination. He said, the Ministry of Health was also assisted by communities and NGOs in targeting Mpox vaccination targets.

“So that’s what we prioritize for getting the vaccine, so those who have a history of contact in the previous 14 days with ODIV, or have the behavior of changing partners and having sex with the same sex,” said Nadia.

Editor: Wahyu S.

2023-10-30 03:20:00
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