"Because the first case of monkeypox has been found in Indonesia, the public must know the signs or symptoms of monkeypox," head of the professional development division of PAEI, Masdalina Pane, said when contacted here on Monday.
Thus, if there are family members who experience symptoms of monkeypox, they should be taken to the nearest health facility without delay, she added.
"In the health facility, it will be ascertained whether it is monkeypox or not, and then it can be immediately followed up and handled. This is important for initial treatment," she explained.
Pane, who is also a researcher at the Center for Public Health Research of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), said that all parties, including the community, have a vital role in controlling the spread of disease.
"In an effort to control a disease, all of us play an important role," she stressed.
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The epidemiologist added that dissemination of information and public education need to be intensified so that people can recognize monkeypox symptoms and play an active role in preventive measures.
"The incubation period is around 5–21 days, with symptoms that vary in each patient. However, similar to other infectious diseases, in general, the symptoms are fever, headache, muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes, and typical rashes on the skin," she informed.
According to her, people must increase vigilance against the transmission of the disease.
"The most important thing is that there should be no stigma associated with this disease because it is feared that stigma will make someone who experiences symptoms afraid to report or get checked," she said.
Earlier on Saturday (August 20, 2022), the Ministry of Health announced that Indonesia's first monkeypox infection had been confirmed in a 27-year-old man in Jakarta.
The ministry reported that the patient recently traveled outside the country and presented with symptoms such as fever and rashes on his body.
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Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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