Cablegate: Two New Avian Influenza Poultry Outbreaks and Update On

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RR RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHPB
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ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 210933Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0634
INFO ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0003
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0013
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0004
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 0307
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0044
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEHSUN/USUN ROME IT
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0042

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001404

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/EP, INR, OES/STC, OES/IHA, MED,AND OES/IHB (DFANTOZZI, CPATTERSON, CSHAPIRO)
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (STERN) AND FT DETRICK
HHS/OSSI/DSI PASS TO FIC/NIH (RGLASS), OGHA (JMONAHAN, MABDOO, SCUMMINGS, DMILLER), ASPR (MPERDUE, RROBINSON)
CDC FOR COGH (SBLOUNT), CCID (SREDD), DIV-FLU (NCOX, AMOEN), AND NCZVED (AKHAN, CRUBIN)
USDA PASS TO APHIS, FAS (OSTA AND OCRA), FSIS
BANGKOK FOR USAID (MACARTHUR/AATHWIN), APHIS (HHOWARD/RTANAKA) AND CDC (MSIMMERMAN)
ENTS)BEIJING FOR HHS HEALTH ATTACHE (EYUAN) AND CDC (JMCFARLAND)
JAKARTA FOR CDC INFLUENZA COORDINATOR (FMAHONEY)
PHNOM PENH FOR CDC INFLUENZA COORDINATOR (PKITSUTANI)
ROME FOR FAO (JZINGESER)
VIENTIANE FOR CDC INFLUENZA COORDINATOR (ACORWIN)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO EAGR EAID PREL KFLU VM
SUBJECT: TWO NEW AVIAN INFLUENZA POULTRY OUTBREAKS AND UPDATE ON
RECENT HUMAN FATALITY

REF: HANOI 1290

1. (SBU) Summary: Earlier this week, Vietnam reported two poultry
outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), confirmed to
be with the viral strain A/H5N1, in southernmost Ca Mau province
and northern Thai Nguyen province. We have not seen any reports of
human infections in these provinces. A relative of a recent A/H5N1
victim in Dien Bien province recently tested positive for A/H1N1,
but not for A/H5N1. End Summary.

New A/H5N1 Poultry Outbreaks
-------------------------------------------

2. (SBU) Department of Animal Health (DAH) officials reported to
Embassy staff that HPAI broke out on November 25 in Tan Loc Bac
commune, Thai Binh district, in Ca Mau province. Of 350
susceptible ducks, 184 were infected, 178 died, and the remaining
172 ducks were destroyed. Poultry were reported sick or dead
within 1 week after receiving an initial influenza vaccination. We
do not yet know whether there is relationship between the initial
vaccination and the morbidity and mortality.

3. (SBU) DAH officials reported to Embassy staff that HPAI broke
out on December 9 in two households raising poultry in Hoang Nong
commune, Dai Tu district, in Thai Nguyen province, located in
northern Vietnam (about 75 kilometers north of Hanoi). Of 900
susceptible ducks, 350 were infected, and 310 died. On December 11,
HPAI broke out in ducks in Yen Lang commune, Dai Tu district, with
95 infections, including 55 deaths in the 152 animal flock. These
poultry flocks were not reported to have received influenza
vaccination. As a preventive measure, local authorities destroyed
4,100 ducks, 102 chickens, and 17,750 poultry eggs from both
communes, and established preventive measures.

4. (U) Media outlets referencing DAH officials reported that
quarantine stations were set up in both Ca Mau and Thai Nguyen
provinces to ensure appropriate transporting and slaughtering of
poultry. Also, one million vaccine doses were allocated to allow
for properly vaccinating flocks in both Ca Mau and Thai Nguyen
provinces.

Additional Details on Recent A/H5N1 Human Fatality
--------------------------------------------- ----------------------
------

5. (SBU) Some additional information has surfaced about the recent
case of the 23-year-old man who died November 28 of influenza
A/H5N1 in northwestern Dien Bien Province. The victim had
slaughtered one duck and one Muscovy duck and eaten well-cooked
meat and blood pudding one week prior to onset of symptoms.
Officials in the Ministry of Health (MOH) reported that a relative
of the patient died of a respiratory illness and was buried before
samples could be taken. Seven persons exposed to the patient were
swabbed for influenza virus as part of the MOH investigation. The
patient's 17-year-old cousin who lived in a separate house was
asymptomatic but was found to be positive for 2009 A/H1N1
influenza, but not A/H5N1. There are currently other cases of
2009 A/H1N1 influenza in the province but not in that commune.

6. (SBU) The victim's family kept poultry, but no pigs underneath
the house and had a small pond for raising ducks. All ducks,
chickens, and Muscovy ducks were reported healthy. A pooled sample
of several swabs of the family's ducks and chickens taken as part
of the MOH investigation, December 2-4, tested positive for A/H5N1
[Note: the Muscovy ducks had already been sold or consumed by the

HANOI 00001404 002 OF 002

time MOH arrived]. DAH did a separate investigation taking 8
samples (2 chickens, 2 Muscovy ducks, and 4 ducks). The samples
were received at the national lab on December 4 and all were
negative for A/H5N1. [Note: we cannot determine if the same
animals were tested. End Note.] MARD has not announced a new
A/H5N1 outbreak in this province.

MINIMIZE CONSIDERED
Michalak

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