JUNE 8 NIGERIA AVIAN FLU UPDATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001387 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS USDA FOR FAS/OA, FAS/DLP, FAS/ICD AND FAS/ITP USDA FOR APHIS USDA FOR WAYNE MOLSTAD/OSEC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KFLU EAID AMED EAGR NI AVIANFLU SUBJECT: JUNE 8 NIGERIA AVIAN FLU UPDATE REF: ABUJA 1359 ABUJA 00001387 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) Summary. On May 25 the Ambassador handed over to the Nigerian minister of agriculture a representation of anti-AI commodities, including equipment and disinfectant, worth more than 46 million naira (about $360,000). The agriculture minister said Nigeria had paid 1.7 million naira (almost $13,300) in compensation to poultry farmers. The media reported May 20 that more than 450,000 birds in Nigeria so far were culled as a preventive measure. The U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and USAID carried out in Lokoja GPS training for 43 veterinary officers, and training for 12 veterinarians in GIS spatial epidemiology. USAID organized a visit of two laboratory experts from the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit to evaluate five Nigerian laboratories' capability to assist in the human or animal surveillance of AI. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Economic counselor and economic officer met on May 23 with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Nigeria representative. The FAO official said the Government of Nigeria (GON) had agreed to the creation of a joint GON-FAO avian influenza (AI) information center, which would collect and disseminate AI-related information produced through joint human- and animal-disease surveillance. The GON earlier opposed a joint center, to better control information about AI. The FAO official termed Nigeria's failure to pay compensation to affected poultry farmers the main failing of its anti-AI campaign. He said the GON's overall AI strategy "is bad, and the implementation is even worse." U.S. Assistance to Nigeria -------------- ¶3. (U) On May 25 the Ambassador handed over to the Nigerian minister of agriculture, in front of the Agriculture Ministry, a representation of anti-AI commodities, including equipment and disinfectant, worth more than 46 million naira (about $360,000). In his speech, the minister of agriculture acknowledged that AI would affect Nigeria "for a long time." He said the GON had so far paid 1.7 million naira (almost $13,300) in compensation to poultry farmers. The media reported May 20 that more than 450,000 birds in Nigeria so far were culled as a preventive measure. (Comment: The free-ranging roosters crowing 40 feet away while the minister of agriculture spoke help illustrate the challenge Nigeria faces in combating AI. End comment.) ¶4. (U) In May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and USAID carried out in Lokoja two days of training in using global positioning systems (GPS). Forty-three veterinary officers, from all states in Nigeria, strengthened their ability to use GPS in animal-surveillance work. The training was geared toward using Garmin Legend GPS units provided by USAID and older GPS units provided by the GON. The students were taught how to use standardized settings to collect and record appropriate coordinates and readings. The correct and regular use of GPS units, in conjunction with establishing a network for data collection, will assist the GON in locating, tracking, and targeting disease outbreaks, farms, and other points of interest. The trainers found that Nigerian veterinarians need additional GPS units to efficiently map disease outbreaks, as well as fuel and transportation to keep technical personnel working in the field. ¶5. (U) APHIS trained at Lokoja 12 veterinarians -- 10 GON veterinarians from the Pan-African Program for the Control of Epizootics and two from the FAO -- for one week on geographic information systems (GIS) spatial epidemiology. They received instruction in using the ArcView GIS program, which will allow epidemiologists to better analyze the spread of AI while permitting better disease-control strategies. The trainers concluded that ArcView GIS software should be purchased for use in GON epidemiologists' desktop and laptop computers. Laptops are necessary for epidemiologists working in the field and also have the ABUJA 00001387 002.2 OF 002 advantage of operating on batteries, in recognition of Nigeria's erratic electricity supply. ¶6. (U) USAID/Nigeria organized a visit of two laboratory experts from the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) in Cairo to evaluate five Nigerian laboratories' capability to assist in the human or animal surveillance of AI. The experts' visit to Nigeria ended June 2. Embassy Abuja will address in septel the NAMRU experts' evaluation of Nigerian laboratories. Proposed FAO Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases -------------- -------------- ¶7. (U) The GON's chief veterinary officer told the agricultural attache on May 24 that the MOA would devote more time to field work than to meetings in Abuja, in recognition of the MOA's limited staff and capabilities. The MOA was creating a new unit within the Department of Livestock to focus on animal-health issues such as AI. The new unit was being created to carry out the GON/FAO's proposed animal-surveillance project, which could be funded by the FAO, USAID, and the European Union. The project, if funded, would be known as the FAO Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases. FUREY