AVIAN INFLUENZA - SRI LANKA UPDATE FOLLOWING INDIA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000337

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE, SIPDIS

STATE FOR OIE DANIEL SINGER AND REBECCA S DALEY
STATE FOR SA/INS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KSTH ECON PREL SOCI WHO EAGR CASC CE
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA - SRI LANKA UPDATE FOLLOWING INDIA
OUTBREAK

REF: A) COLOMBO 1992, B) COLOMBO 1592, C) KAUFFELD EMAIL TO
KATHERINE CRAWFORD FEB 10, 2005


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The avian flu (AI) outbreak in nearby
India has generated significant publicity in Sri Lanka, with
public concern leading to decreased consumption of poultry
products. Little change has taken place since November (Ref
A) in the pace of preparations by the Government of Sri
Lanka (GSL),other than the banning of poultry imports and
chicken feed from India. Improvements in surveillance and
detection capabilities continue to be limited by a lack of
resources, and surveillance problems are exacerbated in
areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE). End Summary.

Perceptions About Avian Flu
--------------


2. (SBU) Reftel cables and earlier news articles reported
that GSL officials were confident in their AI preparedness
plan. But concerns remain about logistical and diagnostic
shortcomings in the plan as well as a failure to make AI
preparedness a budget priority. Media coverage of AI has
intensified since the Indian outbreak, with some articles
describing Sri Lanka's preparedness shortcomings, others
giving false reassurance to the public of Sri Lanka's
supposed immunity to AI (based on SARS not coming to the
island),and still others emphasizing the continued safety
of poultry consumption, a widely used protein source in Sri
Lanka. The GSL continues to work toward fulfillment of its
national preparedness plan, but implementation remains
hindered by a lack of resources.

Status of Wildlife Surveillance
--------------


3. (SBU) According to Dr. Samson Daniel, Additional
Secretary, Ministry of Livestock, five investigation centers

SIPDIS
equipped with rapid testing kits are capable of conducting
initial tests, but samples suspected of carrying H5N1 must
be sent to the Veterinary Research Institute (VRI) in the
Central Province. Because the VRI lacks the proper
facilities for virus isolation, the GSL would like to
construct a more modern, adequate facility. Daniel said
that the Ministry of Livestock and Ministry of Health are
preparing a joint AI surveillance and pandemic prevention
proposal, which they will use to request assistance from
donors in the near future.


4. (SBU) Daniel confirmed that carrying out surveillance in
LTTE-controlled areas of the north and east is especially
difficult due to the LTTE presence, staff aversion to
working in LTTE-controlled areas, and the generally poor
state of infrastructure in these war-torn areas.


5. (SBU) Daniel also acknowledged that little information
exists on the number and whereabouts of backyard poultry
farmers. He suspects low levels of awareness about AI among
this group. Most educational campaigns have targeted the
organized poultry sector stakeholders, such as processors
and large-scale commercial farms, leaving thousands of small-
scale farmers out of the loop. Papers report that 300 wild
birds have been tested to date, with no sign of infection.

Preparations for a Human Pandemic
--------------


6. (SBU) Sri Lanka still lacks the ability to detect H5N1 in
humans. On February 27, Dr. Bipin Verma and Dr. Agostino
Borra, representatives of the World Health Organization
(WHO),updated EconOff on efforts to upgrade Sri Lanka's
capability to diagnose H5N1 with 99% accuracy. USAID

COLOMBO 00000337 002 OF 002


Colombo has requested $479,500 to support this project (Ref
C). The WHO is currently sponsoring two officials for
specialized training in Hong Kong and hopes to acquire more
rapid diagnostic kits for distribution in district
hospitals.


7. (U) Verma and Borra reported WHO's efforts to partner
with other UN agencies, such as UNICEF, to increase public
awareness of AI symptoms and mitigation measures. (Note:
Such campaigns are needed, as most reports indicate little
knowledge of H5N1 and its potential threat in the
countryside. End Note.)

Falling Demand for Poultry after India Announces AI
-------------- --------------


8. Since the outbreak in India, the Sri Lankan Poultry
Association has reported a 10 percent drop in poultry
consumption. Egg prices have dropped 50 percent and chicken
prices around 35 percent.


9. Sri Lanka, which had already banned poultry imports from
bird-flu infected nations, has now restricted maize imports
(a primary chicken fee in Sri Lanka) from India. (NOTE: The
logic and effectiveness of this measure is not clear. End
Note.) With India supplying around 90% of the maize used
for poultry-feed, the GSL must decide quickly whether to
begin importing feed from other countries before supplies
run out.


10. COMMENT: Increased awareness of the nearby AI threat in
India has mainly resulted in a ban on poultry imports and a
reduction in poultry consumption. The GSL needs significant
aid in order to improve its diagnostic capabilities as it
still lacks the ability to confirm the presence of H5N1. US
assistance for lab equipment and capacity building in
diagnostic skills (requested in Ref C) would greatly
contribute to Sri Lanka's ability to detect an outbreak.

LUNSTEAD