Ministry of Health to Add Monkeypox PCR Laboratory After the Discovery of the First Case in Indonesia

JAKARTADAILY.ID – The Ministry of Health has confirmed the first Monkeypox case in Indonesia. However, until now there are only two laboratories that can be used for Monkeypox PCR examinations.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, Mohammad Syahril, said that the PCR test for Monkeypox in Indonesia could only be carried out in two reference laboratories, the national reference laboratory of the Ministry of Health (BKPK) and the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB) laboratory.

According to Syahril, currently in the process of adding ten improved laboratories to carry out the PCR examination. There are also several hospitals that are already able to perform PCR.

Also read: Indonesian Ministry of Health Confirms First Monkeypox Case in Indonesia

Syahril said that the Ministry of Health had prepared 1,200 reagents for Monkeypox examination. Examination will be carried out if there is a suspicion of Monkeypox.

“This Monkeypox PCR examination is different from the COVID-19 PCR examination. PCR Monkeypox is done by swab on rashes on the patient's body," he said.

Syahril explained that Monkeypox patients also do not need an isolation room like COVID-19 patients. The isolation room for COVID-19 patients requires negative pressure, while for Monkeypox patients the isolation room is not required.

Also read: Indonesian Ministry of Health: Monkeypox Cases Have Not Been Found in Indonesia

Clinical care therapy for Monkeypox should be fully optimized to relieve symptoms, manage complications, and prevent long-term sequelae. Patients should be given fluids, drugs and food to maintain adequate nutrition.

Secondary bacterial infections should be treated as indicated. An antiviral known as tecovirimat developed for smallpox was licensed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for Monkeypox in 2022 based on data on animal and human studies.

Tecovirimat is not yet widely available. If used for patient care, tecovirimate should ideally be monitored in the context of clinical research with prospe ctive data collection.

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Regarding vaccination, Syahril said that the World Health Organization or WHO has not provided a recommendation for mass vaccination against Monkeypox. There are two or three countries that have already vaccinated and Indonesia is also in the process of procuring it and must go through a recommendation from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM).

Monkeypox patients will recover on their own if there are no additional infections or there are no severe comorbidities that can worsen the patient's condition.