Cablegate: Avian Influenza Update - More Dead Ducks in New Animal

VZCZCXRO8954
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
DE RUEHHI #1835 2981046
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 251046Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6573
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 3845
RUEHZS/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 3199
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5773
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 1281
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0828
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0325
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 1530
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS 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//
RUEHSUN/USUN ROME IT

UNCLAS HANOI 001835

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
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 (STIEGER/VALDEZ/DMILLER/HICKEY)
CDC FOR OGHA (BLOUT/MCCALL) AND DIV-FLU (COX/MOHEN)
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (STERN)
HHS PASS TO FIC/NIH (GLASS)
USDA PASS TO APHIS, FAS (OSTA AND OCRA), FSIS
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC (MALISON), USAID (MACARTHUR/BRADY) BANGKOK FOR
APHIS (NCARDENAS), REO(JWALLER)
BEIJING FOR HHS HEALTH ATTACHE (ROSS)
PHNOM PENH FOR CDC INFLUENZA COORDINATOR(BRADY)
ROME FOR FAO
VIENTIANE FOR CDC INFLUENZA COORDINATOR (CORWIN)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO AMED AMGT CASC EAGR PINR KFLU VM
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE - MORE DEAD DUCKS IN NEW ANIMAL
OUTBREAK IN CENTRAL VIETNAM

REF: A. HANOI 1793 B. HANOI 1771 C. HANOI 373

1.(U) Summary. Local and international media outlets reported an
outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza A (AI) among ducks in a
central Vietnamese province. Initial reports on a Government of
Vietnam (GVN) website state that laboratory testing confirmed the
link to H5N1. Quang Tri recently experienced seasonal flooding
enhanced by the effects of Typhoon Lekima (Ref B). Prior to this
flooding, Quang Tri had not reported any infections during the most
recent wave of H5N1 outbreaks. This incident appears unrelated to
the recent outbreak among ducks in Tra Vinh province in the Mekong
Delta (ref A). GVN officials just formally confirmed that the
earlier Tra Vinh deaths were caused by H5N1. End Summary.

2. (U) An October 24 report on a GVN Department of Animal Health
website (http://www.cucthuy.gov.vn) stated that authorities recently
discovered 290 dead and an additional 20 ill ducklings among a flock
of 600 two-month-old birds at one farm in Nhi Ha village, Gio Thanh
commune, Gio Linh district, Quang Tri Province in central Vietnam.
Gio Lanh is located approximately 100 kilometers north of Danang and
50 kilometers north of Hue. The UN Food and Agricultural
Organization reported that none of the ducks (all of which were
culled following the outbreak) had been vaccinated. Gio Lanh
district lies along the coast in an area that recently experienced
heavy seasonal flooding that resulted in four human deaths. Though
the area does not have intense poultry breeding, locally extensive
rice cultivation supports free-ranging duck populations.

3. (U) According to the Department of Animal Health report, tests by
a national animal laboratory confirmed that the H5N1 strain caused
the outbreak. National officials are cooperating with provincial
authorities, which initially responded to the outbreak. Quang Tri
previously had not reported animal outbreaks during the recent waves
of H5N1 animal infections, which began in December 2006 (ref C).
There are no reports of suspected human AI infections.

4.(SBU) Though this incident appears unrelated to the recent
outbreak among ducks in Tra Vinh province in the Mekong Delta, both
occurred among unvaccinated flocks in areas suffering from intense
rains and flooding. Unlike earlier waves of animal infections,
these two incidents do not seem to be part of a large-scale or
nation-wide event. GVN officials, who just confirmed the link to
H5N1 in the Tra Vinh duck fatalities, warned that the onset of cold
weather and increased seasonal duck rearing increases the risk of
future poultry outbreaks.

MICHALAK

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