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