Expert: Advanced Research on Bats Essential for Zoonosis Prevention

Jakarta (ANTARA) - A virology expert from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), NiLuh Putu Indi Dharmayanti, has highlighted the need for research on bat species as one of the preventive and control measures against zoonotic viruses such as Nipah.

The Head of the BRIN’s Health Research Organisation and also a Senior Virologist, Molecular Biologist, and Expert Researcher in Emerging/Re-emerging Diseases, NiLuh Putu Indi Dharmayanti, stated during an online discussion followed from Jakarta on Tuesday, that bats carry several zoonotic viruses, including those found in Indonesia.

This is also necessary to improve diagnosis and treatment, as well as to control epidemics of zoonotic diseases, which are infectious diseases transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa.

Bats are one of the carriers of zoonotic viruses, with at least 70 virus families associated with them.

Some of these viruses are known to cause diseases ranging from the Nipah virus, which has a mortality rate of 40-75% of confirmed cases, to Ebola, SARS-CoV-2, and rabies.

She said that focusing research on bats will be an important step as an upstream mitigation measure to address the potential for pandemics caused by these viruses.

“Focusing on bats is truly the most fundamental step to prevent pandemics from the outset. Bats are in a unique position given the large number of zoonotic viruses they carry,” said Indi.

Previously, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed two recent deaths from the Nipah virus in India and Bangladesh. In Indonesia, there have been no confirmed cases of suspected patients infected with the virus, with data from 2024-2026 showing 16 suspected cases in Indonesia, all of which tested negative.