The effort has been carried out following the discovery of monkeypox cases in Jakarta some time ago, head of the KKP Soetta Airport, Naning Nugrahini, said on Wednesday.
"After the Health Ministry announced the discovery of monkeypox cases, we took anticipatory steps, one of which was monitoring passengers leaving and arriving at Soetta Airport by observing (monkeypox) signs and symptoms," she informed.
She noted that monkeypox prevention would be different from COVID-19 monitoring.
For monkeypox, her party is focusing on checking for signs of exposure, such as rashes on the skin accompanied by fever, Nugrahini informed.
Officers at the security checkpoint are asking passengers to undergo health checks and screening for monkeypox symptoms.
"We will increase the capacity of officers in recognizing the signs and symptoms of monkeypox," she said.
Her party has also increased vigilance by educating all airport elements, including airlines, regarding monkeypox handling.
According to her, so far, no passengers have been detected with monkeypox symptoms at Soetta Airport. However, strict supervision is still being carried out at the airport.
Earlier, the Indonesian Health Ministry reported six cases of monkeypox or mpox in Jakarta. The infections were detected in people living with HIV (PLHIV) and having a bisexual orientation.
"Six monkeypox patients are PLHIV and have a bisexual orientation," director general of disease prevention and control at the ministry, Maxi Rein Rondonuwu, said in Jakarta.
He informed that the majority of confirmed monkeypox patients were men aged between 25 and 29 years, while the rest were men aged 30–39 years.
Based on the results of laboratory examinations, as of October 13, 2023, the ministry has detected a total of 7 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Indonesia, he said.
He added that all confirmed cases were detected in the Jakarta area with 1 case reported from Jatinegara, 1 case from Mampang, 1 case from Kebayoran Lama, 2 cases from Setiabudi, 1 case from Grogol Petamburan, and 1 case from Kembangan.
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Translator: Azmi Syamsul M, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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