Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ZAGREB1810
2005-11-09 13:41:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Zagreb
Cable title:  

AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: 9 NOVEMBER 2005

Tags:  TBIO PREL EAID WHO CASC HR 
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UNCLAS ZAGREB 01810

SIPDIS
R 091341Z NOV 05

FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5326
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RHEFAFM/CDRAFMIC FT DETRICK MD
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA WASHDC
UNCLAS ZAGREB 001810 

SIPDIS

DEPT PLEASE PASS TO DS/DSS, DS/IP, M/MED/JCTRIPLETT
FAS/CMP/DLP WETZEL AND MAGGINNIS
FAS/ITP/EAMED POMEROY AND FLEMING
CA/OCS/ACS RICK DOWELL
USAID FOR E&E/ECA/B/ANNE CONVERY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO PREL EAID WHO CASC HR
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: 9 NOVEMBER 2005

REF: ZAGREB 1772, 1741, 1729, 1436

UNCLAS ZAGREB 001810

SIPDIS

DEPT PLEASE PASS TO DS/DSS, DS/IP, M/MED/JCTRIPLETT
FAS/CMP/DLP WETZEL AND MAGGINNIS
FAS/ITP/EAMED POMEROY AND FLEMING
CA/OCS/ACS RICK DOWELL
USAID FOR E&E/ECA/B/ANNE CONVERY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO PREL EAID WHO CASC HR
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: 9 NOVEMBER 2005

REF: ZAGREB 1772, 1741, 1729, 1436


1. SUMMARY: As of November 9, 2005, no additional
cases of H5N1 have been confirmed in Croatia. The
GOC has begun to relax some of the biosafety
measures outside of the initial sites. Public
awareness efforts are continuing and poultry sales
are rebounding. END SUMMARY


2. The Croatian Veterinary Institute has collected
over 3000 samples from wild and domestic birds and
will continue to collect and test samples from
throughout Croatia. Within a three kilometer radius
of the three initial sites where H5N1 was found (two
fish farms in Grudnjak and Nasice and the village of
Zdenci),all poultry is still banned. Dr. Mate
Brstilo, Assistant Minister, Veterinary Directorate,
Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that the
government plans to provide free baby chicks to
owners who had their poultry culled if no additional
cases of H5N1 are confirmed within 45 days of the
previous cases.


3. Within 20 kilometers of the three-kilometer
radius of the initial sites, all poultry is still
required to be kept indoors. However, Minister of
Agriculture Cobankovic announced on Monday, November
7, that the requirement to keep all poultry under
cover for the rest of Croatia would be lifted on
Friday, November 11 but the requirement to keep
poultry in enclosed spaces would remain. Econoff
travelled through the Croatian countryside to the
towns of Varazdin and Koprivinca on Monday, November
7 and saw some chickens on small family farms that
were not being kept under cover or in enclosed
spaces. However, the number of free range chickens
appeared to be less than before the new regulations
went into effect.


4. Public awareness efforts continue and last week
the city of Zagreb published an information pamphlet
on avian influenza and the risk to public health.
Effects of AI on poultry sales are still unclear.
According to Bozidar Cikac, director of sales for
Vindija corporation (a large producer of poultry and
poultry products),domestic sales dropped in the
first weeks after H5N1 was confirmed in Croatia.
Cikac said that sales are starting to rebound as
media interest in AI has waned. Davor Popovic,
Sales Manager, Podravka corporation (a food
processing company),said that their exports of
poultry products have declined since Serbia and
Montenegro banned import and transit of all poultry
products (including canned soup) from Croatia.
Podravka exports to Macedonia have stopped as well,
since SaM is a transit country.

DELAWIE