Jakarta, Jan. 28 -- A member of the House of Representatives (DPR) urged the government to strengthen early detection and epidemiological surveillance at international airports and ports to prevent the potential entry of the Nipah virus into Indonesia.

Nurhadi, who serves on Commission IX which oversees health issues, said Indonesia must be more vigilant following Thailand's decision to declare a high-risk status and re-implement strict airport protocols.

"We must be anticipatory, not wait until a case occurs," he said in a statement on Wednesday.

He believes increased vigilance is necessary, even though there have been no reported domestic cases, due to the virus's high fatality rate and history of serious outbreaks in several countri...