Jordan/H5N1: Government to Compensate for Culled

UNCLAS AMMAN 002326

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE PASS USAID FOR GLOBAL HEALTH/K HILL,
DCARROLL
USDA FOR APHIS
STATE FOR M/MED DASHO DR. TRIPLET
GENEVA FOR WHO REPRESENTATIVE
ROME PASS US MISSION FAO
OES FOR SINGER, DALEY
NEA FOR RA/LAWSON
STATE FOR CA/OCS/ACS/NESA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO CASC KFLU JO
SUBJECT: Jordan/H5N1: Government to Compensate for Culled
Flocks

REF: Amman 2176


1. Summary: As of 1630 local time on March 30, there have
been no new cases of H5N1 avian influenza in Jordan since
the original cases first reported on March 24. GOJ
officials feel they have the situation under control. On
March 28, the GOJ announced that it will compensate farmers
in the Kufranjeh/Ajloun area for poultry culled by
authorities on the farms that were within the six kilometer
radius of the confirmed cases (reftel). Details on the
compensation plan have not been announced. The GOJ has also
decided to destroy a controversial shipment of minced turkey
from Israel despite the inspection results that proved that
there are no health hazards. According to the GOJ
spokesman, destroying the shipment aims at eliminating
public panic. Post plans to hold additional "Town Hall"
meetings on AI on April 6. End summary.

--------------
Intensive Monitoring Ongoing at Site
--------------


2. Dr. Faris Al-Bakhit, Veterinary Director at the Ministry
of Agriculture (MOA) told FAS FSN that the MOA is closely
monitoring the Kufranjeh/Ajloun area, where the confirmed
cases were found. He said that the MOA considers three days
without further cases as a critical period but that thirty
days must pass before they consider the outbreak completely
stamped out. He said veterinary authorities have inspected
a 10 kilometer radius and no further H5N1 cases have been
found. The MOA has culled 12,714 commercial poultry and
7,364 domestic and wild birds. Dr. Al-Bakhit noted that all
updates and procedures will be discussed in the regional OIE
conference in Beirut on April 6-7. Post understands that
Cairo-based USDA/APHIS officials will attend that meeting.

--------------
Surveillance Continuing; Media Plan Imminent
--------------


3. Embassy contacts and press reports note that careful,
active monitoring is underway elsewhere around Jordan as
well. Dr. Ali As'ad, Secretary General for Technical
Affairs at the Ministry of Health (MOH),told AID FSN that
MOH is expanding surveillance, especially at farms. Teams
from the Royal Medical Services, MOA and MOH are performing
active surveillance, with samples being taken for testing.
Dr. As'ad said the GOJ's media plan is almost ready to
launch. The MOH has requested funding for this plan, but
funding has not yet been approved. The media plan is being
implemented under a USAID project on health communication
that was already in place with Johns Hopkins University and
the Ministry of Health.

--------------
Government to Compensate Farmers
--------------


4. To date, the GOJ has committed only to compensate
farmers for the birds that were culled by GOJ authorities
from the farms within six kilometers of the confirmed cases,
as announced on March 28 by Minister of Agriculture Akef Al-
Zubi. Also on March 28, Minister of Industry and Trade
Sharif Zu'bi (no relation to the Minister of Agriculture)
said that the Cabinet has formed a committee to look into a
mechanism that would compensate poultry farmers for losses
from bird flu. This mechanism would have a wider scope than

the approved compensation for the Kufranjeh culling, but the
topic is still being discussed within the GOJ and no further
details are available.

--------------
Regional Coordination Meeting - March 27
--------------


5. On March 27, GOJ officials met with their Israeli
counterparts at the Allenby Bridge to exchange information
on avian flu. FAS FSN was told that the two sides discussed
and evaluated their respective responses to the outbreaks.
Participants from the Palestinian Authority were apparently
invited but were unable to attend. MOH Secretary General
As'ad told AID FSN on March 29 that the Jordanian and
Israeli parties expressed concern that the lack of
compensation plans for culling poultry in Gaza threatens
both Israel and Jordan with continuing outbreaks. The
parties agreed to continue sharing information on AI in a
transparent fashion.

-------------- -
AI in the Media - Calls to Save Poultry Sector
-------------- -


6. Arabic daily Ad-Dustour reported that the price of
chicken has fallen as low as $0.70 per kilo, and that demand
for poultry has dropped by 90%. (Note: Government
statistics agencies are not able to measure real-time demand
for fresh poultry. Domestic poultry production figures are
published on a 3-4 month lag time. End Note.) In a
statement to Ad-Dustour, Restaurant Owners Association
President Raed Hamada said bird flu in Jordan has led to a
50% drop in restaurant sales. He urged the government to
exempt restaurant owners from sales taxes and interest on
bank loans so that restaurants will be able to meet their
obligations to their workers.


7. Arabic daily Al-Rai reported that between February and
March, the prices of local, imported, and frozen meat have
gone up by 5%, the price of fish has gone up by 9%, and the
price of eggs decreased by 20%. The report refers to a study
conducted by the Control and Quality Department at the
Ministry of Industry and Trade, which compared changes in
the prices of 54 commodities between last month and this
month.

--------------
Poultry Farmers Stage Sit-In
--------------


8. Arabic Al-Arab Al-Yawm reported that the lack of
sufficient information in the public domain on avian flu is
causing public anxiety. Al-Arab Al-Yawm reported that a
number of medical specialists confirmed that eating cooked
poultry meat and eggs cannot transfer the virus to humans.
Dailies also reported that poultry farmers and farm owners
staged a sit-in March 27 at the Ministry of Interior,
demanding the government find ways to market and sell their
poultry. The dailies also reported that commercial poultry
de-feathering centers in Amman governorate have closed down,
and that slaughterhouses there have refused to receive live
chickens.

-------------- --------------
Ajloun Governor to Re-Open All Chicken Processing in Ajloun
-------------- --------------


9. According to Al-Arab Al-Yawm, Ajloun Governor Ahmad
Shiyab authorized the re-opening of chicken processing in
his governorate after he received confirmation from
authorities that there are no new bird flu cases. Shiyab
noted that the precautionary measures taken by authorities
helped control the outbreak. Shiyab met with poultry farm
owners in Ajloun, who complained to him about the losses
they have suffered. He responded that the culling of the
birds in their farms and other precautionary measures were
critical to control the spread of H5N1 disease and to
safeguard their health and that of all citizens.

--------------
Embassy Town Hall Scheduled
--------------


10. Post will have additional "Town Hall" meetings on April
6 as recommended in Post's Avian Flu Trip Wires Plan to
update and educate Embassy staff on the current avian flu
situation. A large-scale Embassy event for the American
community is also being planned, as are further public
diplomacy events on avian influenza.

HALE