Sabah's silent health threat

The Star

10-06-2025

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah could face the next major infectious disease outbreak if nothing is done to strengthen biosurveillance and reduce human-wildlife contact, according to an expert.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Biotechnology Research Institute researcher Prof Dr Vijay Kumar said the state's environmental richness was its strength and also its greatest vulnerability with emerging infectious diseases.
He said Sabah's natural wealth was extraordinary, but that same biodiversity made it a hotspot for potential disease spillovers.
'We're seeing more pathogens jump from animals to humans – not just in isolated cases, but across multiple fronts. From zoonotic malaria to emerging coronaviruses and outbreaks in livestock, the risks are real, growing, and deeply concerning.
'We cannot afford to be complacent. Every delay in surveillance and every missed opportunity to act early increases the risk of another major outbreak – one that can cripple our healthcare system, disrupt livelihoods and damage Sabah's reputation as a biodiversity haven,' he added in a statement yesterday.
Prof Vijay said the rising threats underscored the importance of adopting the One Health approach, which integrated human, animal and environmental health to tackle zoonotic diseases in a coordinated and proactive way.
Sabah is seeing a rise in diseases that can jump from animals to humans, like malaria from macaques, coronaviruses from bats, diseases in poultry, and infections from rodents, mainly because people are moving into natural areas more.
He highlighted the danger posed by the plasmodium knowlesi, a malaria parasite spread from macaques via mosquitoes, which formed the bulk of malaria cases in the state.
Prof Vijay said researchers have also discovered several new coronaviruses in bat populations, on the back of the SARS and Covid-19 global outbreaks.
Infectious disease risks also extend to the agricultural sector, as evidenced by the 2018 outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in the state, which led to the culling of thousands of poultry.
'While no human cases were confirmed, antibodies detected in individuals pointed to previous exposure.
'Other poultry diseases, such as the Newcastle Disease Virus and Infectious Bronchitis Virus, continue to challenge farmers as local strains render existing vaccines less effective,' he added.
Sabah's animal health concerns are not limited to land-based species.
In the waters around Mabul Island, rising cases of sea turtle fibropapillomatosis, a tumour-causing herpesvirus, are threatening endangered marine life.
Prof Vijay said African Swine Fever has decimated both wild and farmed pig populations, disrupting ecosystems and affecting traditional hunting in indigenous communities.
'Urban and environmental threats are just as pressing. Soil- and water-borne infections such as melioidosis and leptospirosis remain endemic in Sabah, while rats in urban centres have been found carrying bartonella bacteria, posing a largely unnoticed risk to city dwellers,' he added.
Prof Vijay noted that many of these risks arise from unregulated human activities.
'Poaching, illegal wildlife trade, agricultural expansion, and deforestation are increasing our contact with animals that may carry unknown pathogens,' he stated.
He cautioned that large-scale development projects like Indonesia's new capital Nusantara in East Kalimantan may further fragment Borneo's ecosystems, intensifying human-wildlife conflict and accelerating the spread of new diseases. To counter these threats, Prof Vijay and his colleague Assoc Prof Dr Zarina Amin called for a stronger One Health framework to, among others, enhance genomic surveillance, incorporate AI to detect emerging pathogens early and increase awareness among the rural and indigenous communities.
They also recommended promoting conservation-focused land-use policies to reduce ecological disruptions, and they urged the government to prioritise long-term investment in biosurveillance.
'Investing in biosurveillance is no longer optional. It's essential if we want to protect not only public health but also Sabah's economy, food security and conservation efforts,' Prof Vijay said.
He also called for the formation of an interdisciplinary task force to unite virologists, conservationists, AI specialists, public health experts and policymakers to drive One Health collaboration in the state.