Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Licence needed for work use Learn More

Search

 

Cablegate: Vietnam - September 29 Avian Influenza Report

VZCZCXRO4633
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB
DE RUEHHI #2512/01 2721100
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 291100Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3570
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 1903
RUEHZS/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 2998
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5582
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0996
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0723
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0262
RUEHSUN/USUN ROME IT
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 1406
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//USDP/ISA/AP//
RHMFISS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC//J2/J3/J5//
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC//DHO-3//
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J00/J2/J3/J5//
RHEFAFM/DIRAFMIC FT DETRICK MD//MA-1A//

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002512

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/EP, INR, OES/STC, OES/IHA, MED
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR ANE AND GH
STATE PASS TO HHS/OGHA (WSTIEGER, EELVANDER AND ABHAT)
USDA PASS TO APHIS
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (LSTERN)
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID (JMACARTHUR AND MBRADY)
ROME FOR FAO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU AMED AMGT CASC EAGR PINR SOCI VM
SUBJECT: VIETNAM - SEPTEMBER 29 AVIAN INFLUENZA REPORT

REF: HANOI 2361 AND PREVIOUS

HANOI 00002512 001.2 OF 002


1. (U) There have been no reported human AI cases and no confirmed
AI outbreaks in poultry to date this year in Vietnam.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

2. (U) On September 29, state-owned media reported that the
Government of Vietnam (GVN) has vaccinated 28.6 million poultry in
27 provinces and cities since the national vaccination campaign
began in February 2006.

3. (U) Several national newspapers reported on September 27 that a
male Vietnamese traveler was being tested for AI after exhibiting
flu-like symptoms upon disembarking a Vietnam Airlines flight from
Hanoi via Ho Chi Minh City to Sydney, Australia. An Australian
health official was quoted saying that it is unlikely the patient is
infected with avian influenza.

4. (U) On September 19, Vietnam News Agency reported that the U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing USD 1.55
million for a new project to fight avian influenza in Vietnam and
Laos. Through USAID's Regional Development Mission and Abt
Associates Inc., a new partner in the regional effort,
community-level projects will carry out surveillance and control
activities against avian influenza in both countries. Working in
close collaboration with current USAID partners, including the U.N.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the U.N. World Health
Organization (WHO), and the Academy for Educational Development
(AED), Abt will conduct activities with international
non-governmental organizations such as CARE International and
Population Services International (PSI) in targeted geographic
regions with a high risk of avian influenza outbreaks. These
activities include delivering key prevention messages, implementing
strategies to minimize high-risk behaviors, working with human and
animal-health workers to enhance their ability to recognize and
report suspected cases and developing new approaches for enhancing
biosecurity on poultry farms. Including this project, USAID has
provided over USD 41 million to date for avian influenza activities
in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

AI in Review: Vietnam-Australia Workshop on SARS and AI
--------------------------------------------- ----------

5. (U) On September 14-15, Vietnam and Australia co-hosted a
workshop on "the role of military and civil cooperation in the
prevention and control of communicable diseases such as SARS and
Avian Influenza." The focus of the workshop was to develop a
cooperative regional approach to disease surveillance and early
response systems, with civil/military cooperation. The workshop
began with a presentation by a World Health Organization (WHO)
representative from the Philippines. WHO reported that as of
September 7, 2006 there are 241 confirmed human cases of Avian
Influenza (AI), with 141 resulting in death, representing a 55
percent death rate. The majority of publicly reported new cases of
AI in humans have occurred in Indonesia.

6. (U) The WHO thinks the risk of a pandemic is still great. WHO
is planning for three possible scenarios: 1) outbreaks continue in
humans and poultry, but there is no evolution of H5N1; 2)
human-to-human transmission occurs, causing a surge of AI cases and
a subsequent pandemic; 3) a pandemic in humans occurs, but the
transmission of H5N1 is not efficient resulting in cluster cases
only. WHO noted that historically, pandemics occur every 30-40
years and the last human pandemic was in 1968.

7. (U) The WHO continued with a list of key strategic actions in

HANOI 00002512 002.2 OF 002


response to a human pandemic. WHO first noted that Asian countries,
including Vietnam, continue to have weak early-warning systems and
high-risk behavior. Among the key actions to be taken is the
strengthening of early-warning systems by improving detection of
animal cases first and sharing information throughout the region
about existing animal cases. Additionally, high-risk countries
should aim to reduce exposure to H5N1 through education,
compensation, and communication. Every nation should build and
increase its capacity to cope with a pandemic. This should be done
by completing an overall economic assessment in addition to
increasing vaccination supplies. Finally, WHO emphasized that
non-medical interventions will be essential if/when a pandemic
occurs. Medical supplies and assistance may not be immediately
available; therefore officials should be prepared to implement
non-medical strategies such as quarantines and travel restrictions.

ALOISI

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
World Headlines

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.