Anticipate Nipah Virus, South Kalimantan Strengthen Surveillance at Airports

BANJARMASIN - The South Kalimantan Animal, Fish and Plant Quarantine Office has increased surveillance at Syamsudin Noor International Airport. This is done to prevent the spread of Nipah Virus through people's traffic and cross-country commodities.

Isrokal, Head of the Animal Quarantine Working Team of the South Kalimantan Quarantine in Banjarmasin, said that the increased supervision was socialized in early detection, prevention, and handling of the Nipah Virus, HIV/AIDS, and Tuberculosis (TB) hazards.

"The importance of traffic control of animals, animal products, plants, and plant products that have the potential to become a medium for carrying the Nipah virus. Supervision is carried out in layers through the implementation of pre-border, at-border, and post-border systems according to national quarantine standards," he said on Sunday, February 8, quoting ANTARA.

He sees the airport as one of the main entry points for the movement of people and commodities, so it has a high risk of entering strategic infectious animal diseases.

"Therefore, supervision must be carried out strictly and continuously, especially for high-risk commodities," he said.

He mentioned various vigilance measures, including the rejection or destruction of bat, pig, and horse imports from infected or non-declared Nipah Virus-free countries, as well as risk-based surveillance of animal and plant products entering Indonesian territory, especially South Kalimantan.

Isrokal appealed to passengers not to bring or include commodities that have the potential to be a carrier of the Nipah Virus, such as meat and fruit from countries with a history of cases, including India, Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh, and the Philippines.

He also appealed to the public and business actors to comply with all quarantine provisions by not carrying out illegal imports of carrier media and immediately reporting the discovery of sick animals or unnatural deaths to the authorized officers.

"Strengthening surveillance at the country's entry points is expected to be a preventive fortress to protect public health, maintain the security of national biological resources, and support the safety and smooth running of air transport," said Isrokal.

This socialization activity was carried out by PT Angkasa Pura in collaboration with the Banjarmasin Class I Health Quarantine Office, in commemoration of the National Safety and Occupational Health (K3) Awareness Month.