Surveillance process is not only carried out on humans but also animals. Thus, the surveillance is not only carried out by the Ministry of Health, but also the Ministry of Agriculture as well as other relevant ministries.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono has said that cross-agency collaboration is needed to tackle animal diseases that are transmitted to humans, or zoonoses.

"Surveillance process is not only carried out on humans but also animals. Thus, the surveillance is not only carried out by the Ministry of Health, but also the Ministry of Agriculture as well as other relevant ministries," he informed in a written statement received on Wednesday.

Harbuwono gave several examples of zoonoses, such as anthrax, leptospirosis, and rabies.

Leptospirosis, which is common in big cities with densely populated settlements, can transmit to humans through the urine or blood of infected animals.

The cause of leptospirosis is the Leptospira interrogans bacteria, which can be transmitted by dogs, pigs, horses, cattle, and rats.

According to him, the disease can result in epidemics like bird flu, which is caused by the H5N1 virus. In Ecuador and Cambodia, bird flu cases were detected in November 2022.

The deputy minister said that the Indonesian government has taken anticipatory measures to prevent the spread of zoonoses.

The measures have been implemented through the Regulation of the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Number 7 of 2022 on the prevention and handling of zoonoses and new infectious diseases.

"This regulation will strengthen Indonesia's surveillance that surveillance is not only carried out for humans but also animals and several pets," Harbuwono stated.

The Indonesian government issued the Regulation of Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Number 7 of 2022 at the office of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Based on the Health Ministry's report, as many as 60 percent of diseases that infect humans are sourced from animals, and around 75 percent of them are new infections. One of them is COVID-19.

Related news: Ministry issues regulation on collaboration for zoonoses prevention








Translator: Andi Firdaus, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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