Cablegate: Avian Influenza Surveillance Ends Following Confirmed Cases

VZCZCXRO6713
OO RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHROV
DE RUEHTV #0349 0440947
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 130947Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5390
INFO RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 9065
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 4553
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 3628

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000349

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR OES/ENV AND NEA/IAI AND NEA/RA
INTERIOR PASS FISH AND WILDLIFE
USDA FOR APHIS AND FAS
BRUSSELS FOR APHIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFLU TBIO EAGR ETRD USTR IS KWBG
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE ENDS FOLLOWING CONFIRMED CASES
AT PETTING ZOO

REF: STATE 250

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY

1. (U) Following the January 3, 2008 confirmation of H5N1 in birds
at a Petting Zoo in Benyamina, GOI Ministry of Agriculture
instituted surveillance zones at three and ten kilometers, as noted
reftel. The Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that this
surveillance ended on February 2, 2008. Other than the initial
cases at the zoo, there were no further cases in birds reported.

2. (U) Within the three-kilometer radius, two small flocks (4800) of
"table egg layer" chickens were culled, even though they tested
negative for H5N1. This farmer has been compensated for his loss of
'egg layers'.

3. (SBU) Also within the three-kilometer radius, there was one farm
that housed grand-parent stock of chickens (previous reporting
erroneously called these turkey stock). This is the first
generation, and the most sensitive, expensive and difficult to
replace in the line of production. Culling this stock could have
caused a shortage of chicken meat in 12-18 months. For these
reasons, special dispensation was granted to that farm within the
3-kilometer radius. Rather than cull the birds immediately, they
were tested every 72 hours for H5N1, until it was determined that
they were no longer a threat for Avian Influenza.

4. (U) Lastly, there were approximately 1000 'back yard' birds that
were culled. The owners of these birds have not yet received
financial compensation. In total, 5800 birds were culled in
Israel.

JONES

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