CAIRO AVIAN INFLUENZA WORKING GROUP (AIWG) UPDATE

UNCLAS CAIRO 008533 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO ECON PREL SOCI EG WHO KSTH SUBJECT: CAIRO AVIAN INFLUENZA WORKING GROUP (AIWG) UPDATE REF: A. STATE 153802 ¶B. STATE 181885 ¶C. STATE 183776 ¶D. CAIRO 07552 ¶E. CAIRO 08073 Sensitive but unclassified. Please handle accordingly. ¶1. (U) Summary: Cairo's Avian Influenza Working Group (AIWG) met on October 26 to review post and interagency preparedness and collaborative efforts with the GOE, and to discuss recent meetings with the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA),the Ministrsy of Foreign Affairs, and the G-8. Egypt's domestic avian influenza (AI) surveillance needs assistance, but is improving. The private sector is collaborating with the GOE on domestic surveillance and biosecurity efforts. USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS),USAID and Cairo's Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU-3) are actively working to provide needed assistance. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Agricultural Counselor and a representative from APHIS met October 25 with Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) representatives Dr. Fekry El Keraby, Under Secretary for Animal Production, and Dr. Mona Aly, head of the National Animal Health Institute, to discuss domestic surveillance. The MOA reported that it will work with NAMRU on training and quality control. MOA labs are high quality but lack redundancy for some equipment. They are currently sampling primarily food products being imported or exported. Domestic surveillance of poultry remains limited, with only one farm per week being surveyed. The Ministry is seeking to increase this figure, and has begun to sample live bird markets. APHIS is arranging to send two members of the MOA staff for diagnostics training in the U.S., and has identified training needs in biosecurity, sampling, and outbreak response strategies. We assess Egypt's domestic animal surveillance programs as inadequate, due to the lack of sampling capacity. USAID will meet with MOA and MOH to discuss these problems. ¶3. (SBU) APHIS representatives also discussed preparedness of the poultry industry in an October 19 meeting with Prof. ¶A. Sami, President of the Egyptian Poultry Scientific Society, and warned that lack of biosecurity and biosecurity awareness, and intermingling of migratory birds with domestic flocks threaten the poultry industry. There is no GOE compensation plan at present to encourage producers to inform the authorities of any suspected occurrence of AI. The Poultry Association will work with the GOE's Veterinary Services to set out a contingency plan for AI, and will hold a seminar on Avian Influenza in November. ¶4. (SBU) USAID has had discussions with the Ministry of Health (MOH) regarding Rapid Response Teams and is considering a locally based training program. USAID has funding to sponsor training for small numbers of people in the US, and will fund Egyptian participation in an APHIS course on surveillance. USAID has been actively developing an assistance strategy for Egypt, and is engaged in numerous meetings with NAMRU, FAS, and APHIS to support identified needs, e.g., response teams, and vaccines for poultry. ¶5. (SBU) In a meeting with representatives from G-8 embassies on October 24, ECPO Minister Counselor discussed the results of the International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza (IPAPI),US progress on AI surveillance and other cooperative efforts with the GOE, contingency plans for an AI outbreak, educational programs for the expat community, and information about development and availability of treatment and vaccines. ECPO Minister Counselor also requested that G-8 representatives engage all ministries at high levels to encourage GOE transparency and domestic surveillance by the MOA. ECPO Minister Counselor suggested that the G-8 coordinate before providing assistance to Egypt. The EU representative said Europe was considering providing training and other expertise based on the European encounters with AI. ECPO Counselor, with colleagues from NAMRU-3, USAID, and FAS, briefed Ministry of Foreign Affairs scientific staff on November 1. ¶6. (SBU) Post will continue to engage the GOE on the dangers that AI poses to both human health and agriculture. Egyptian officials are deeply concerned and feel pressure to show public action. This has resulted in the unjustified prohibition on import of all poultry goods into Egypt. This order currently affects a large shipment of feather meal from the United States, which has been embargoed by customs. Ambassador will address the GOE's import restrictions with the Ministries of Agriculture and Trade, respectively, this week. RICCIARDONE