Feri Eko Hermanto, Andhika Prima Prasetyo, Ratna Dwi Puji Astuti, Eka Gunarti Ningsih, Anissa Nofita Sari, Indira Prakoso
Airborne pathogens pose significant public health risks, especially in tropical countries like Indonesia, where year-round warmth and high humidity facilitate microbial survival. Dense urban settings, limited healthcare infrastructure, and frequent interactions between human and animal populations exacerbate the spread of bacteria, viruses, and fungi through both indoor and outdoor air. Traditional sampling methods, including settle plates and impaction samplers, have offered foundational insights into microbial loads but often fail to detect the full range of microorganisms. Recent advances in molecular diagnostics, such as polymerase chain reaction and metagenomics, now enable detailed analyses of airborne pathogens, uncovering critical information about species diversity and potential antibiotic resistance. Recognizing the complexity of disease transmission, this manuscript embraces a One Health perspective, advocating for collaboration across human, veterinary, and environmental sectors. Policy integration is equally vital: While Indonesia enforces regulations on chemical pollutants, microbial air quality remains largely overlooked. Strengthening detection strategies, updating public health policies, and raising community awareness can collectively shift national efforts from reactive containment to proactive surveillance. Recommendations include establishing multi-tiered monitoring networks that gather baseline data while rapidly investigating hotspots, augmenting laboratory capacity for advanced diagnostic methods, and implementing regulatory frameworks that address airborne pathogen thresholds in high-occupancy facilities. Through these strategies, Indonesia can bolster its resilience against airborne diseases, safeguarding public health amid rapid demographic and environmental changes. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2025.
Department of Intelligent Livestock Industry, Faculty of Animal Sciences, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Research Center for Applied Zoology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong, Bogor, 16911, Indonesia; Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, 60115, Indonesia; Bioinformatics Research Center, Institute of Bioinformatics Indonesia, Malang, 65162, Indonesia; Research Center for Vaccine and Drugs, Research Organization for Health, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong, Bogor, 16911, Indonesia; Brawijaya Innovation Center for Genomics (BRAVOGEN), Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, 65145, Indonesia
