Having Sufficient Researchers And Laboratories, IPB Is Ready To Be Involved In The Investigation Of Monkeypox

IPB Chancellor Arif Satria when interviewed about monkeypox after the launch of the morning variety 9G and sorghum at the IICC Bogor/Via ANTARA

BOGOR - Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) stated that the government is ready to be involved in the investigation of monkeypox to detect the virus that causes the zoonotic disease.

The Chancellor of IPB, Arif Satria said, IPB is very ready in terms of human resources (HR) as well as facilities and infrastructure for disease research if appointed directly by the government.

"This has just been done informally, in principle IPB is ready. Ready to help solve the problem. So, our laboratory is now ready to test the diagnosis of monkeypox and FMD," said Arif when interviewed after the launch of 9G rice and sorghum varieties at the IICC. Bogor, Antara, Friday, 29 July.

Arif said that researchers in the field of animals and animal diseases at IPB were competent enough to be able to participate in providing solutions for handling monkeypox.

In addition, IPB's HR also has a laboratory and monkey conservation on Tinjil Island, so that research facilities are adequate.

IPB has also held informal meetings with the government, in this case the Ministry of Health, to conduct research on solutions to prevent and treat monkeypox, which has become an epidemic in the world.

Primate researchers, said Arif, have been tested and are proficient in contributing to the vaccines that have been used in Indonesia. "Currently we are just holding informal meetings. IPB has been involved in informal meetings, yes, there has been no direct appointment, but we are ready," said Arif.

Previously, the Ministry of Health stated that two laboratory facilities were ready to carry out epidemiological investigations of monkeypox, including conducting examinations to detect the virus that causes the disease which is classified as a zoonotic.

"There are two laboratories that are ready, namely the Research Laboratory for Infectious Diseases Prof. Dr. Sri Oemijati BKPK of the Ministry of Health and at the Center for the Study of Primates of IPB," said Ministry of Health spokesman Mohammad Syahril when asked for confirmation in Jakarta, Thursday.

According to him, the two laboratory facilities are ready to examine samples from patients suspected of having monkeypox in order to detect disease transmission at an early stage.

Syahril said that the government would add ten laboratories in strategic areas to support efforts to track massive cases of transmission of the disease.