I have ordered the minister of health, first, please handle the vaccination immediately
Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) called on Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin and his ranks to conduct stringent checks at the state's entry points to prevent the spread of monkeypox.

"For places where high level of interactions take place and the entry points to our country, please strictly guard the gates," Jokowi stated here, Tuesday.

On August 20, 2022, the Ministry of Health announced the findings of the first confirmed case of monkeypox in Indonesia in a 27-year-old male patient residing in Jakarta.

"I have ordered the minister of health, first, please handle the vaccination immediately," Jokowi affirmed.


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However, despite a positive case being identified in Indonesia, President Jokowi appealed to the public to remain calm and vigilant.

"We do not need to panic because monkeypox transmission occurs through direct contact and not through droplets. I think the most important aspect is our readiness to deal with it," he stressed.

As earlier reported, the monkeypox patient in Indonesia experienced health problems a few days after returning to Indonesia following a tour to several countries in Western Europe on August 8, 2022.

According to the Jakarta Health Office, three people had come in close contact with the first confirmed case of monkeypox. All three were in good health and have no health complaints.

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The symptoms of monkeypox generally begin with fever, headache, and swollen lymph nodes found in the neck, armpit, or groin.

In addition, these common symptoms can be accompanied by complaints of muscle aches, backaches, and prolonged fatigue.

After one to three days since the fever occurs, symptoms will be followed by the appearance of a rash on the skin over several parts of the body, in the form of red spots like smallpox, small blisters filled with clear fluid or filled with pus that then become scabs and fall off.

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Monkeypox, apart from being transmitted through direct contact from sick animals to humans, can also be transmitted between humans and through objects contaminated with viruses.

However, monkeypox is not easily transmitted between humans. Human-to-human transmission can occur through close contact with droplets, such as body fluids or direct skin-to-skin contact with rashes, including through sexual contact.

Transmission can also occur through indirect contact with contaminated objects, such as clothing, bedding, towels, or unwashed cutlery and plates.


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Translator: Desca Lidya N, Resinta S
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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