Ministry Of Health Detects Monkeypox Cases In 5 Provinces, Most In DKI Jakarta

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JAKARTA - The Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) reported cases of monkeypox or Mpox detected in five provinces in Indonesia based on the latest report published on November 20, 2023. "The total daily report of Mpox until November 20, 2023, has reached 51 confirmed cases and 30 of them have recovered," said Head of the Communication and Public Service Bureau of the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, confirmed in Jakarta, Antara, Tuesday, November 21. The report informed that the most Mpox cases were reported from DKI Jakarta as many as 38 cases with 23 of them declared cured. Furthermore, six confirmed cases of Mpox were reported from West Java Province with a cure rate of two people. Banten reported five similar cases, all reported recovered. The latest report on the Mpox case in Indonesia came from the Provinces of the Riau Islands and East Java, each of which is still in the process of recovering health. Nadia said that the Mpox vaccination is currently only available in DKI Jakarta due to the limited availability of vaccines. The Ministry of Health provides 4.500 doses of Mpox vaccine and 1.008 bottles of antiviral tecovirimat, as an effort to treat patients. Nadia appealed to the public not to have risky sexual relations as a solution to prevent Mpox. The risky group in question is people who have sex by changing partners and have many couples and same-sex sex. Generally, cases of monkeypox occur due to same-sex sex. Data from the Ministry of Health reports that confirmed cases of Mpox are generally experienced by same-sex sexual-oriented community groups of men with HIV and syphilic conditions. Symptoms of monkeypox usually begins with headaches followed by fever of more than 38 degrees Celsius and sore throat and enlargement of lymph nodes, followed by a rash after one or three days.

"The appearance of a rash is in the form of a small number of red rashes, spread regionally, for example in the arm area, then in the genital area, leg and others," said Nadia.