A man in Indonesia has tested positive for monkeypox, the first confirmed case of the disease in the country, officials said on Saturday.

The 27-year-old man, who lives in the capital Jakarta, returned from an overseas trip on August 8, Health Ministry spokesman Mohammad Syahril told a news conference. The man started experiencing symptoms five days later and went to the doctor. He tested positive for monkeypox on Friday night and is now isolated at home, Syahril said.

“This is a self-limited disease that will go away after 20 days if the patient does not have a pre-existing condition,” Syahril said, adding that the government for now does not see the need to impose restrictions at the community level to exercise restraint. disease.

Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of more than 270 million people, has been on high alert since the World Health Organization (WHO) asked countries to increase their vigilance after Britain experienced an outbreak of monkeypox in May. Previously, this virus was only endemic in several African countries.

Monkeypox is spread when people have close physical contact with the lesions, clothing, or bedding of an infected person. Sexual contact can increase transmission.

Most people recover without treatment, but the sores can be very painful. The most severe cases can lead to brain swelling and death.

Globally, more than 31,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in nearly 90 countries. Last month, the WHO declared the outbreak a global emergency.

This disease has been known since at least the 1970s and has been a challenge in Africa for many years.