In the midst of the threat of new diseases after COVID-19, the disease triggered by the Hendra virus is in the spotlight. This type of virus is quite worrying because it is quite deadly.
Griffith University Australia epidemiologist Dicky Budiman explained that the Hendra virus originated from fruit bats or flying fox which is an animal native to the Australian continent.
“The cause is fruit bats or flying fox which is a native animal in Australia,” said Dicky in a voice message received detik.comMonday (23/5/2022).
Then the question arises, could this virus be endemic in Indonesia considering that the cause is an Australian native animal?
According to Dicky, to this day there has been no information regarding the immigration of fruit bats from Australia to Indonesia. However, this virus remains a concern.
Dicky further explained that a 2013 study related to bat serology in Indonesia found that 20 to 25 percent of bats from Indonesia had antibodies to the Hendra virus.
“Among 20 to 25 percent of bats in Kalimantan or Sulawesi, they already have antibodies to the Hendra virus. There may be cases, but they are not detected,” he explained.
Therefore, Dicky appealed to the government to increase supervision regarding the entry of the Hendra virus. “We have neighboring countries that have a risk of the disease (Hendra virus) … the importance of this surveillance, to see changes in the character of the Hendra virus in the future,” added Dicky.
Potential to become a pandemic
Although the Hendra virus is not a type of virus that is easily transmitted and cases are relatively very rare, early detection to prevent the spread of the virus is important.
“This group of viruses includes Hantavirus, which consists of Nipah virus and Hendra virus. This virus comes from animals, which has the potential to become a pandemic in the future,” explained Dicky.
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