"Currently, there are seven active cases of mpox with local transmission," the ministry's Technical Staff for Health Transformation, Dr Ngabila Salama, stated at an online talk show on mpox on Monday.
According to Salama, the seven active cases were from local transmissions, even though one of the patients had a history of traveling abroad.
She further revealed that the seven patients are currently undergoing isolation at designated hospitals as part of the mpox management protocol.
"The symptoms are mild. Currently, we are still waiting for the (patients') recovery," she remarked.
Salama noted that the seven mpox patients are men in the age bracket of 25-35 years that had contracted the viral disease from sexual contact.
Nevertheless, she emphasized that a person can contract mpox in other ways apart from sexual contact.
"The transmission can also occur through droplets, viruses that stick to surrounding objects, and skin-to-skin contact," she explained.
Hence, she stated that the government is implementing procedures for handling mpox to prevent and control its spread.
"The Indonesian Ministry of Health and the Jakarta Provincial Government are carrying out (measures to) detect, prevent, and respond to prevent an outbreak," she remarked.
She appealed to the community to implement a clean and healthy lifestyle to avoid mpox transmission.
It includes wearing masks, washing hands after engaging in activities; avoiding skin-to-skin contact and contact with wounds; ensuring that sexual activities are safe, healthy, and clean; and avoiding sexual activities when ill.
Furthermore, she appealed to the community to report to the nearest community health center (puskesmas) if they experience fever accompanied by lesions in the form of lumps filled with water or pus.
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Translator: Sean Muhamad, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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