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Indonesia boosts monkeypox preparedness after detecting first case
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A monkeypox virion, obtained from a clinical sample associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak, is pictured under an electron microscope in an undated Centers for Disease Control handout. On the left are mature, oval-shaped virus particles, and on the right are the crescents and spherical particles of immature virions. (AFP/Cynthia Goldsmith)
T
he Health Ministry is stepping up efforts to manage monkeypox cases and limit the virus’ spread following the discovery of the country’s first confirmed case of the virus in Jakarta.
Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Syahril said the government was working to procure some 10,000 monkeypox vaccines and expand laboratory capacity for testing for the disease.
"The World Health Organization [WHO] is so far not recommending mass monkeypox vaccinations. But we're in the process of procuring around 10,000 vaccines to be given only to patients and their close contacts,” Syahril said in a press conference on Saturday. “Of course, the vaccines must be given the green light by the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency [BPOM] before they can be distributed to the public.”
The ministry, Syahril added, had also prepared around 1,200 reagent kits for monkeypox testing and was working to add ten more laboratories to test the disease.
A case of monkeypox is diagnosed through a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on a viral swab taken from one or more skin lesions or ulcers. Only two laboratories in the country can currently conduct such tests, one in Jakarta and one in Bogor, West Java.
Syahril said the government had been augmenting border control measures in response to the potential spread of monkeypox. Authorities have also urged airlines and port authorities to watch out for passengers presenting symptoms of the illness.
"We’ve also urged health workers to raise their guard against the monkeypox virus and educate themselves on protocols to follow if they find patients suspected to have the disease," he said.
