Cablegate: Avian Influenza Update: 17 November 2005

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UNCLAS ZAGREB 01836

SIPDIS
R 170954Z NOV 05

FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5343
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUERAFX/DIR AFMIC FORT DETRICK MD
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA WASHDC

UNCLAS ZAGREB 001836

SIPDIS

DEPT PLEASE PASS TO DS/DSS, DS/IP, M/MED/JCTRIPLETT
FAS/CMP/DLP WETZEL AND MAGGINNIS
FAS/ITP/EAMED POMEROY AND FLEMING
CA/OCS/ACS RICK DOWELL
USAID FOR E&E/ECA/B/ANNE CONVERY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO PREL EAID WHO CASC HR
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: 17 NOVEMBER 2005

REF: ZAGREB 1810 AND PREVIOUS

1. SUMMARY: As of November 17, 2005, no additional
cases of H5N1 have been confirmed in Croatia. The
GOC is continuing its surveillance efforts and Post
hopes to receive an English version of the Croatian
national pandemic influenza preparedness plan by the
end of November. Media interest in avian influenza
(AI) is almost non-existent. END SUMMARY

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The Veterinary Directorate Remains Vigilant
-------------------------

2. Assistant Minister Mate Brstilo, Veterinary
Directorate, confirmed to Econoff that the GOC
continues to collect and test samples and had
collected over 3000 samples as of November 11.
Econoff spoke with the Dutch agricultural
counsellor, Oscar Meuffels on November 15, who noted
the Dutch will pay for a one month lease of a real
time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction
(RT-PCR) machine for the GOC and that the machine
was expected to arrive in Zagreb either November 18
or 21. (A real time RT-PCR machine will allow the
GOC to more quickly process the samples that have
been collected to determine if a virus is present.)
The GOC is also interested in obtaining a DNA
purifier machine to identify virus subtypes.
According to Meuffels, the GOC is currently using
accurate but antiquated and labor-intensive
technology.

-------------------------
English translation of national preparedness plan
expected
-------------------------

2. Ira Margan Gjenero, director of the Infectious
Disease and Epidemiology Department at the Croatian
Institute of Public Health told Econoff on November
14 that she hopes to have an English translation of
the national pandemic preparedness plan by the end
of November. Post will forward a copy when it
becomes available.

-------------------------
Media coverage wanes
-------------------------

3. Media interest in AI is almost non-existent, but
the press did report that Minister of Health Neven
Ljubicic met with Chinese Deputy Minister of Health
Jiang Zoujun on November 14 to discuss infectious
diseases, including avian influenza.

DELAWIE

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