Monkeypox cases spread to 5 provinces in Indonesia

Cases of monkeypox in Indonesia have spread to five provinces, the Health Ministry said.

"The total has reached 51 confirmed cases, including 30 patients who have recovered," said Siti Nadia Tarmizi, the head of the Ministry's communications and public services bureau, on Tuesday.

The capital Jakarta considered as a special province has recorded the most cases, at 38, including 23 recoveries. Other cases were detected in West Java (6), Banten (5), Riau (1) and East Java (1).

Some cases were accompanied by other diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis, added Tarmizi.

Meanwhile, the work to prevent new cases is hampered by the minimal number of vaccine doses, Xinhua news agency reported.

The monkeypox case in Indonesia was first detected this year on October 13, in a resident who had just returned from a trip to various countries.

Epidemiologists estimate the number of cases could multiply to 3,600 cases a year if without any interventions.

Indo-Asian News Service