Inp.polri.go.id - Tangerang. The Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Health Quarantine Office (BBKK) has escalated surveillance for international travelers as part of a proactive strategy to prevent the entry of the Nipah virus (NiV).

Following reports of outbreaks in countries like India, Indonesian authorities are focusing on flights arriving from high-risk regions to ensure the virus, which has a fatality rate exceeding 40%, does not cross national borders.

"We have a profiling system for every direct flight from affected countries. We analyze the health declarations filled out by passengers 21 days prior to their arrival to identify potential risks," said Naning Nugrahini, the Head of BBKK Soekarno-Hatta, on Tuesday (17/1/2026), as quoted by antaranews.com.

The screening process utilizes advanced thermal scanners to detect fever and visual inspections by medical officers. If a passenger on a high-risk flight is flagged with symptoms such as high fever, confusion, or respiratory distress, quarantine officers will conduct an immediate "on-board" inspection before passengers disembark. 

Furthermore, BBKK is coordinating with animal quarantine authorities, as the virus is zoonotic, primarily carried by fruit bats and transmitted through contaminated food or contact with infected animals like pigs.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)