Cablegate: Sudan ? Avian Flu Update 9 ? July 17

VZCZCXRO1688
OO RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1709/01 1990809
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 180809Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3755
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001709

SIPDIS

AIDAC
SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AFR/SP
NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, AND FAS
USMISSION UN ROME
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
NAIROBI FOR SFO
NSC FOR JBRAUSE, NSC/AFRICA FOR TSHORTLEY
USUN FOR TMALY
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI KFLU SU
SUBJECT: SUDAN ? AVIAN FLU UPDATE 9 ? JULY 17

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Summary
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1. On July 2, 2006, the U.N. Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) convened a meeting of the Technical
Task Force on Avian Influenza (AI) in Khartoum.
Following a three-week period during which no cases were
reported, on July 12, FAO reported a new outbreak of AI
in Khartoum State. Planning for the upcoming AI
vaccination campaign is ongoing. The committee formed
to address issues related to the economic impact of AI
estimates that compensation of affected farmers will be
approximately USD 10 million. The release of the joint
proposal of FAO, the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF), and
the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) on actions
needed to mitigate and contain the AI outbreak has been
delayed by nearly two months. End summary.

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Outbreak Update
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2. At the July 2 AI Task Force meeting in Khartoum, FAO
reported that no new cases had been reported in the
previous three weeks. On July 12, however, FAO reported
that a new outbreak had been detected on a farm in
Khartoum State on July 6: 4,500 birds have since died
or been culled. AI outbreaks in Sudan appear to follow
a pattern similar to the Nigerian case, wherein after a
three-to-four week quiet period another outbreak starts.
According to FAO, epidemiological investigation is
required to determine possible factors for why the new
outbreaks are occurring. Possible reasons include among
others, changes in feed, the introduction of new
poultry, worker movements, and visits by wild birds.
The AI Task Force has stressed the need for sustaining
and improving AI surveillance activities. The Task
Force also recommends that samples be taken from people
who were in contact with the infected birds, including
the farm workers, the farm owner, and culling team.
More than 241 farms in Sudan are presently affected by
AI.

3. Preparations are ongoing for the poultry vaccination
program to be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture
Khartoum State, in collaboration with the Federal
Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries and the
Federal Veterinary Laboratory. Priority will be given
for breeders, then layers, and then broilers followed by
backyard poultry. Three breeder farms in Sudan have
already been identified, and sampling for the farms has
been carried out by a committee with technical support
from the USAID/USDA consultant seconded to FAO.

4. The committee formed and assigned to study issues
related to the economic impact of AI on the poultry
industry in Sudan estimates compensation costs for
farmers at USD 10 million. The compensation includes
funds to account for lost stock and to reestablish the
poultry industry in the affected states.

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Coordination
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5. No representative from the Ministry of Health
attended the July 2 Task Force meeting. The Task Force
assigned WHO to contact the Ministry of Health to obtain
more information about the status of AI in humans and
stressed the need to monitor the status of poultry
workers, particularly those on AI-affected farms.

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Contributions
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6. The revised joint FAO/UNICEF/WHO proposal on AI
outbreak containment and mitigation activities has not
yet been presented to donors. The proposal has been
delayed nearly two months due to ongoing consultations
among the relevant UN agencies? headquarters. FAO has

KHARTOUM 00001709 002 OF 002

allocated USD 250,000 for the AI control program in
Sudan, and USAID has provided FAO USD 200,000, to date.
USAID-donated personal protective equipment (PPE) has
arrived in Khartoum for distribution according to a plan
developed by FAO, in consultation with the Federal
Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries and approved
by the AI Task Force.

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South Sudan - Preparedness
--------------------------

7. The USAID/USDA consultant seconded to FAO visited
Juba from June 22 to 26, 2006. During this trip, the
USAID/OFDA consultant provided an update about the AI
situation in Northern Sudan and conducted training for
eight staff at the Juba Veterinary Laboratory. This
training included instruction on using PPE; packing and
labeling specimens; taking blood and swabs
(cloacal/tracheal) from live chickens; performing
postmortem examinations to show anatomy; and determining
the type of tissue that must be submitted for a
diagnosis of AI. The USAID/USDA consultant also met
with the South Sudan Task Force which consists of high-
level WHO, UNICEF, FAO, Ministry of Health, and Ministry
of Animal Resources and Fisheries officials.

STEINFELD

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