Indonesia confirmed its first case of monkeypox in a local man who was recently overseas, prompting authorities to say they will distribute vaccines and increase lab testing services for suspected cases.
A 27-year-old male from Jakarta tested positive with mild symptoms and is under home isolation, said health ministry spokesman Mohammad Syahril. The person is known to have traveled to one of the 89 countries that has confirmed cases of monkeypox, he said, without specifying.
The government will provide 10,000 doses of vaccines for monkeypox patients and their close contacts, Syahril said. As many as 1,200 reagents will be distributed to hospitals across the country for PCR testing of suspected cases, he said. The ministry said 10 more labs will be made available to test PCR samples of monkeypox, from two currently.
Understanding Monkeypox and How Outbreaks Spread: QuickTake
Monkeypox is less contagious than smallpox and the symptoms are generally milder. About 30% of smallpox patients died, while the fatality rate for monkeypox in recent years has been about 3% to 6%, according to the World Health Organization. The pathogen typically causes flu-like symptoms, followed by a rash that often starts on the face and spreads down the belly. The illness often lasts for two weeks to a month, and can be deadly.
