Sabah Reinforces Wildlife Disease Surveillance Partnership
- nabalunews
- 3 minutes ago
- 2 min read
20 January 2026
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and Conservation Medicine (CM) have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding to continue their long-standing collaboration on wildlife health and zoonotic disease surveillance.
The partnership, which began in 2011, led to the establishment of the Wildlife Health and Genetic Forensic Laboratory (WHGFL) in collaboration with the Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC). The Biosafety Level 2 laboratory has met international standards since 2013 and, in 2024, achieved ISO 17025 accreditation for wildlife disease diagnostics and DNA forensic analysis. This places the facility among just 11 dedicated wildlife laboratories worldwide to attain this highest level of quality accreditation.
The accreditation allows SWD to process forensic samples for use in prosecutions, strengthening efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade and poaching, an issue critical to both conservation and human health.
Beyond laboratory development, CM has worked closely with SWD to build capacity for zoonotic disease surveillance and the management of high-risk animal pathogens. In 2013, the partners established the Sabah Wildlife Health Unit, which conducts health assessments of rescued and relocated animals and undertakes field sampling of free-ranging wildlife. SWD officers and rangers have received extensive training in wildlife and bushmeat sampling, laboratory and field biosafety, disease testing and outbreak response.
Emerging infectious diseases continue to pose a growing threat to public health and the global economy. CM Director Tom Hughes said increased contact between people, livestock and wildlife, driven by agricultural expansion, hunting, wildlife trade, land conversion and urban growth, was accelerating disease emergence.
“On average, two new diseases have crossed from animals to humans each year over the past century. Some are mild, but others, such as Ebola, HIV and COVID-19, are devastating,” he said.
Research conducted under the programme has also provided important scientific clarity. Zoonotic virus surveillance and genetic studies of confiscated and rescued Sunda pangolins found no evidence that the species is a reservoir or intermediary host for SARS-CoV-2. Instead, infections detected in trafficked pangolins are likely to have occurred after exposure within the illegal wildlife trade, underscoring the need to end wildlife trafficking and improve biosecurity at markets.
SWD Director Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar said the collaboration supports early detection and response to disease spillover events, helping to protect people, livestock and wildlife.
He added that the work complements efforts by the Sabah State Health Department, local universities and international partners under initiatives such as the Australian Government-funded RESPOND project.
