Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) is tightening the monitoring of the movement of animal, plant, and commodities to prevent the entry and spread of the Nipah virus.
Head of Barantin Sahat Manaor Panggabean noted that although no Nipah infection cases have been detected in Indonesia to date, ecological conditions, trade flows, and the mobility of people across borders continue to pose potential risks that require serious anticipation.
The agency has been closely monitoring reports of human Nipah cases South Asia, especially West Bengal in India, he said, adding that as a preventive measure, Barantin has implemented controls before, during, and after entry into the country.
These measures include rejecting or destroying imported bats, pigs, and horses from countries affected by, or not officially declared free of, the Nipah virus, as well as applying risk-based monitoring to animal and plant products.
Barantin warned that the introduction of the Nipah virus could pose serious threats to public health and trade, potentially triggering livestock outbreaks, economic losses due to culling, and restrictions on exports of Indonesian animal products. It called on businesses and the public to comply with quarantine regulations.
Indonesia’s Pangkalpinang area and Bangka Belitung province are considered sensitive zones due to their location on migration routes of wild birds, abundant fruit bat populations, and role as trade hubs connecting the country’s major islands, increasing the risk of zoonotic diseases such as the Nipah virus.
Indonesia’s Health Quarantine Office in Pangkalpinang has warned that migratory bats and birds arriving from countries such as India could carry the virus.
Agus Syah, head of the Pangkalpinang office, noted that dozens of birds from Russia recently arrived in East Java, underscoring how wildlife movements across borders may heighten risks.
Although suspected Nipah cases were reported in Indonesia in 2025—in Riau, West Kalimantan, and North Sulawesi, all tested negative he noted./.
