April 14, 2022

HSP-CDC Indonesian Partners Kick-off SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance Project at the Human-Animal-Environment Interface

HSP’s Indonesian subaward team from the Mochtar Riady Institute for Nanotechnology (MRIN) and Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology has completed site assessments at Goa Ngerong in East Java and Goa Lawah in Bali to kickoff its project on SARS-CoV-2 surveillance at the Human-Animal-Environment Interface in Indonesia. This project aims to expand knowledge of the behavior of SARS-CoV-2, Coronavirus and other viruses with zoonotic potential in locations where human activities are in close proximity with wild bat populations and other animals. The team has successfully established collaboration with local partners and collected important research information at the sites, including data on observed animals present, human activities, and various environmental attributes. The data collected will inform how the team will collect human, animal, and environmental samples moving forward to monitor the presence of SARS-CoV-2. The goal of the research project is to determine the level of SARS-CoV-2 zoonotic transmission in each site through seasonal collection and testing of human, animal and environmental samples. It is hoped that the result from the study will greatly contribute to better prevention, detection, and response to SARS-CoV-2 at the Human-Animal-Environment Interface in Indonesia and the greater South-East Asia region. The project is made possible through the U.S. Government CARES Act funding and the support from CDC-Thailand and the CDC-One Health, Atlanta Offices.



Visitors to the mysterious “Goa Ngerong” cave near Tuban, East Java in close contact with bats, making the site a probable location for zoonotic disease transmission. Photo source here.