MARCH 6 NIGERIA AVIAN FLU UPDATE; H5N1 SPREADS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000536

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR OES NANCY POWELL
USDA FOR FAS/OA, FAS/DLP, FAS/ICD AND FAS/ITP
USDA ALSO FOR APHIS
USAID REGIONAL HUB OFFICE ACCRA
CHERYL FRENCH APHIS DAKAR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU EAID AMED EAGR NI
SUBJECT: MARCH 6 NIGERIA AVIAN FLU UPDATE; H5N1 SPREADS

REF: ABUJA 517


1. (SBU) Summary. A GON official said the HN51 virus is now
present in Port Harcourt, Rivers State; Benue State, and
Anambra State, as confirmed by the Vom laboratory. The
agriculture minister traveled to Kano State to kick off on
March 6 the government's compensation program for culled
birds. The GON's top-down management style has proved ill-
suited to managing the fast-changing conditions of AI in
Nigeria. The apparent spread of AI to far southern Nigeria
also means the H5N1 virus now has crossed the GON's
designated "buffer zone" and is no longer contained. End
summary.


2. (U) Economic officer attended the March 6 coordination
meeting at the Government of Nigeria's (GON) Avian Influenza
(AI) Crisis Management Center. A GON official said the H5N1
virus is now present in Port Harcourt, Rivers State; Benue
State, and Anambra State, as confirmed by the Vom National
Veterinary Research Institute, near Jos. Officials did not
provide other details on this spread of AI.

GON starts to pay compensation in Kano
--------------


3. (U) The agriculture minister traveled to Kano State to
kick off on March 6 the government's compensation program
for culled birds. Forty-seven affected farmers in Kano will
receive compensation, according to local media. Affected
farmers in other states will be paid later. The GON said it
expected to spend 23.5 million naira (roughly USD 182,000)
in compensation for culling in Kano. Press reports put the
number of culled/dead birds in Kano at well over 200,000 and
the compensation price is just under two dollars, so that
estimate seems low compared to expected demand.

Culling operations in Nasarawa State
--------------


4. (U) The GON reported it had culled 8,306 birds in
Nasarawa on Feb. 27 and 28 at seven smaller poultry farms,
and that it carried out decontamination operations there.
Officials visited 129 households, as well as six wards and
five villages in Nasarawa. Nasarawa State had closed its
chicken markets by Feb. 27 and was enforcing a 3-km radius
restriction on the movement of domestic birds. Officials
did not take human samples in Nasarawa, but collected
detailed information from affected farmers and their farms.
The inhabitants of the affected areas reportedly are being
monitored, and officials took samples from birds and pigs in
the area for testing. The GON said it expected to spend 3.1
million naira (roughly USD 24,000) in compensation for
culling in Nasarawa.

Nigeria's aid to Niger
--------------


5. (U) The GON donated to Niger on March 4 1,000 pieces of
personal protective equipment (PPE),20 knapsack sprinklers,
200 liters of disinfectant, and 1,000 disposal bags. This
was to aid Niger in combating AI in that country's Magaria
region. Nigeria has sent five veterinary doctors to Niger
to assist that country in culling and decontamination
efforts at affected poultry farms. Nigerien President
Mamadou Tandja met with President Obasanjo in Abuja on March
3 and also visited Nigeria's Avian Flu Crisis Management
Center with Obasanjo.

Other
--------------


6. (U) An official said Nigeria's states are to submit their
AI response plans to the GON this week. A representative of
the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) said it was
necessary for the GON to consider using vaccines on birds.
An official replied that the government appealed to the PAN
not to import vaccines illegally, and that Nigeria must wait

ABUJA 00000536 002 OF 002


for a technical committee to issue its decision concerning
vaccinations. Persons currently being trained in Abuja to
use PPEs will be sent to the states to train persons there
how to use PPEs. A GON official said additional PPEs are
being given to three states, and that 280 sets will be given
to states confirmed by a laboratory as having AI, with 140
sets to be given to nonaffected states. A GON official
announced that the daily AI coordination meeting now would
be held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Comment
--------------


7. (SBU) The March 6 AI coordination meeting was poorly
attended and started 70 minutes late. For the fourth time
in four weekdays, the meeting either began very late or was
cancelled. Attendance was low on March 6 because some
Nigerian AI officials were in Kano for the inauguration of
compensation payments, or were observing training, thus
demonstrating the GON's thin pool of staff on the AI issue.


8. (SBU) The GON began work on March 5 on press statements
concerning the presence of AI in Rivers, Benue, and Anambra
States, but still had not released these statements pending
high-level approvals. The GON's top-down management style
has been a barrier in responding to the fast-changing
conditions of AI in Nigeria. The apparent spread of AI to
far southern Nigeria means that the H5N1 virus now has
crossed Nigeria's designated "buffer zone" and is no longer
contained in the North.
CAMPBELL