KAZAKHSTAN AVIAN FLU INCIDENT: NO HUMAN CASE, USG

UNCLAS ALMATY 002842

SIPDIS


DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CACEN JMUDGE, OES/STC AND EUR/RUS NOLL
ALSO FOR EB/TPP/ATP AND EB/TPP/BTA
USDA FAS FOR ITP FOR MACKE/THOMAS, CMP/DLP WETZEL
FAS PLEASE PASS TO APHIS AND FSIS
HHS FOR WSTEIGER, PBUDASHEWITZ
BRUSSELS PLEASE PASS TO APHIS/FENANDEZ
ANKARA FOR FAS ATTACHE HIGGISTON
GENEVA FOR HEALTH ATTACHE
TASHKENT FOR ESTH

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR TBIO ECON RS ETRD PGOV KZ POLITICAL
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN AVIAN FLU INCIDENT: NO HUMAN CASE, USG
ASSISTING INVESTIGATION

REF: (A) MOSCOW 9453 (NOTAL)

(B) MOSCOW 9529 (NOTAL)
(C) EMAIL: ALMATY-ASTANA O/I 02AUG05


1. Summary/Background: Despite serious fears to the
contrary, the Kazakhstani Ministry of Health stated on
August 2 that the poultry farm worker from the Golubovka
farm (Pavlodar oblast) has not/not tested positive by any
locally available laboratory means for the strain of avian
influenza (AI) known to be transmissible to humans (Ref C).
(Refs A and B describe a nearly simultaneous outbreak of the
virus in Novosibirsk, Russia.) On August 3, Kazakhstani
media reported the hospitalization of fifteen people with
stomach disorders in Ust-Kamenogorsk (80 kilometers from the
Russian border in East Kazakhstan),all of whom had consumed
chicken at the same cafeteria before falling ill. No/no
diagnoses have been made in East Kazakhstan, and every
indication is that the illness is consistent with salmonella
rather than AI.


2. Six hundred geese died of the virus at the Golubovka
farm, and the remaining 2,700 animals were slaughtered and
burned in a disinfection effort. The infected animals are
assumed to have been infected with the highly pathogenic
variant of the virus. CDC/CAR has arranged for United
States researchers to assist in the investigation of the
incident. End Summary/Background.

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Outbreak in Pavlodar Oblast
--------------


3. The week of July 20, a poultry farm in the village of
Golubovka (Pavlodar Oblast) experienced the deaths of about
six hundred of its over 3,000 animals. Golobuvka is 200
kilometers from the city of Pavlodar and 50 kilometers from
the Russian border. On July 29, a 20 year old man who
worked on the farm was admitted to the regional infectious
diseases clinic with double pneumonia. The young man
reportedly began complaining of flu-like symptoms between
July 13 and 20. (Note: There have been reports that the
farm may have experienced a previous outbreak in mid-June.
End Note.)


4. The oblast-level Ministry of Emergency Situations
declared a quarantine of the affected village. By August 1,
all of the animals at the farm had been destroyed. On
August 2, the Ministry of Health announced that contrary to
previous media reports, the young man was not infected with
AI. Measures taken by the local authorities included
plowing the entire area of the farm, building additional
fences around its territory and sending samples (blood serum
and nasal swabs from the human patient, serum from the
birds) for evaluation.


5. Pavlodar Oblast has also banned the transport of poultry
across the border in its Irtysh, Kachirsk and Uspensky
districts, all of which border the Novosibirsk Oblast of
Russia. North Kazakhstan Oblast (northwest of Pavlodar) has
also taken measures, quarantining five farms and banning the
importation into the oblast of chicken from the Russian
oblasts of Novosibirsk, Tyumen and Omsk. Yuriy Puzikov, the
deputy head of the North Kazakhstan epidemiology service,
said that "(the) situation in North Kazakhstan is tense, but
should not give rise to concern."

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USG Response
--------------


6. CDC/CAR representative Dr. Michael Favorov has arranged
for United States virologists from Naval Medical Research
Unit Three (NAVMRU-3) to arrive in Kazakhstan August 5 to
develop polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostics for the
virus and train local personnel in their use.

--------------
Suspicious Illnesses in Ust-Kamenogorsk
--------------


7. Fifteen people have been hospitalized since July 29 with
apparent gastro-enterocolitis in Ust-Kamenogorsk. The
patients all report having consumed chicken cutlets in the
company cafeteria at a business called "FinAgro" before
falling ill. All of the patients are reported to be in
stable condition, and while the local epidemiological
authorities have not explicitly voiced a suspicion of AI,
they have reportedly sent 25 samples for testing; results
are expected by August 6. A student epidemiologist from the
CDC-supported Applied Epidemiology Training Program (AETP)
is involved in the investigation. Ust-Kamenogorsk is 470
kilometers southeast of Pavlodar, 80 kilometers from the
Russian border and 320 kilometers from the Chinese border.


8. Although some press reports have hinted at a connection
between the Ust-Kamenogorsk illnesses and the situation in
Pavlodar, post notes that the symptoms exhibited by patients
in Ust-Kamenogorsk are typical of salmonella. It is
unlikely that another AI outbreak has occurred in that
region.


9. Comment: Post continues to follow the developing
situation in Pavlodar Oblast. The GOK's acceptance of U.S.
diagnostic assistance is a positive development and should
help obtain a clearer picture of the outbreak. End comment.


10. Dushanbe Minimize considered.

ORDWAY


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