Papuans Experience Symptoms Of Mpox Can Check With Labkesmas In Jayapura

Illustration of body temperature detectors to anticipate the entry of the monkeypox virus at Juanda Airport in Surabaya in Sidoarjo, East Java. (Between-Umarul F)

JAKARTA - The Center for Public Health Laboratory (Labkesmas) Papuans said Papuans who experience symptoms of the monkeypox (Mpox) virus or monkeypox can check themselves with their party.

Head of the Papua Labkesmas Center Antonius Oktavian said, based on a circular from the Ministry of Health, there are 12 laboratories in Indonesia that can carry out MPOx examinations, one of which is in Papua Province.

"Our laboratory has been equipped or provided with reagents for Mpox examination where the method uses PCR," he said in Jayapura, Thursday, September 5, was confiscated by Antara.

According to Anton, for the self-examination mechanism, several links have been issued by the Ministry of Health where people only need to fill in and complete the requirements in the NAR or Care Protect application.

"So, the samples can be sent to us and then checked, the results are also submitted through the application," he said.

He explained that because the examination used PCR, the results of the examination took three days and for Papua Province there was no MPOx case. Currently, many people are still guessing, therefore his party appealed to the public to immediately recognize the symptoms of the disease.

"Based on data from the national application from 2023 to 2024, where the last update was on August 17, 2024, there were 88 positive cases of MPOx in Indonesia, while the rest were still suspected. Therefore, let's work together to maintain personal health and apply healthy and clean living behavior," he said.

He added that MPOx is a disease caused by Monkeypoxuirus (MPXV) where this disease can be mild with symptoms lasting about 2-4 weeks, but can develop to severe to death.

MPOx transmission occurs through direct contact with animals or humans who are infected or through indirect contact.

In addition, it can also be through direct contact with lesions or body fluids through kissing, touch, oral, vaginal and anal penetration with someone infected with MPOx.

"However, indirect transmission can occur through contaminated objects such as patient beds," he said.