Nipah Virus and National Biosecurity: Assessing Indonesia's Readiness in a High-Risk Archipelago

Arif Nur Muhammad Ansori

doi:10.22452/jtoh.vol1.10

Authors

Arif Nur Muhammad Ansori Airlangga University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22452/jtoh.vol1.10

Abstract

Indonesia has not reported a confirmed human case or a recognized livestock outbreak of Nipah virus (NiV), but serological and molecular studies have demonstrated evidence of NiV infection in Pteropus bat on several islands. This distinction is central to risk assessment: the reservoir hazard is present, whereas the pathways required for sustained spillover and amplification remain incompletely characterized. Indonesia does not necessarily reproduce the intensive pig–orchard system that amplified the 1998–1999 Malaysian outbreak, yet its heterogeneous livestock sector, wildlife trade, land-use change, and uneven surveillance create different and potentially under-recognized interfaces. Indonesia already has important preparedness foundations, including national NiV guidance, human syndromic and event-based surveillance, a national zoonoses information platform, the National Action Plan for Health Security 2025–2029 and the CARE-I One Health preparedness program. This Opinion argues that these broad capacities should now be translated into a NiV-specific operational framework combining longitudinal wildlife and veterinary surveillance, tiered laboratory confirmation, genomic analysis, interoperable data, community safeguards, and ASEAN coordination. Acting before a human outbreak would allow Indonesia to convert preparedness from a policy aspiration into regional One Health leadership.

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