2 days ago
New task force needed to monitor animal-to-human disease risks, say experts
KOTA KINABALU: Experts from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) have called for the formation of an interdisciplinary task force to address the growing threat of zoonotic diseases in Borneo.
They said the task force should include representatives from government agencies, academic institutions and conservation bodies.
In a joint statement, UMS Biotechnology Research Institute's Professor Dr Vijay Kumar and Associate Professor Dr Zarina Amin said that while Borneo's biodiversity is unparalleled, increasing infrastructural development has raised the risk of zoonotic spillovers - where pathogens jump from animals to humans.
"In Sabah, where human-wildlife interactions are frequent, biosurveillance must remain a priority.
"The spread of infectious diseases not only threatens public health, but also tourism, agriculture and conservation efforts."
A well-documented example is Plasmodium knowlesi malaria, transmitted from macaques to humans by mosquitoes.
In addition, several previously unknown coronaviruses - similar to SARS and COVID-19 - have been detected in bats in Sabah, highlighting the risks faced by tourists and locals visiting bat-inhabited caves.
Sabah's poultry farms have also experienced outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in 2018, while neighbouring Sarawak continues to battle rabies, which accounts for nearly all reported cases in Malaysia.
Livestock and wildlife diseases are an increasing concern. Strains of Newcastle Disease Virus and Infectious Bronchitis Virus have impacted Sabah's poultry industry, while African Swine Fever has devastated wild and farmed pig populations.
Marine wildlife is not spared either. On Mabul Island and surrounding waters, an increasing number of sea turtles are suffering from fibropapillomatosis, a herpesvirus-linked disease.
Melioidosis, which thrives in Sabah's tropical soil, has infected humans and wildlife - including orangutans and macaques. Leptospirosis also remains a persistent threat.
"Looking ahead, large-scale developments such as Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara, in East Kalimantan could significantly disrupt Borneo's ecosystems.
"Increased deforestation, agricultural expansion, and hydropower projects will likely escalate human-wildlife conflict, habitat loss and disease spillovers."
The experts urged for a strengthened One Health approach, combining genomic surveillance, AI analytics, public education, enforcement against poaching, sustainable land-use policies, and better policy integration and funding.
