Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DJIBOUTI615
2006-05-23 13:38:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Djibouti
Cable title:
UPDATE 2: AVIAN INFLUENZA IN DJIBOUTI
how-toVZCZCXYZ0007 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHDJ #0615/01 1431338 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 231338Z MAY 06 FM AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7236 INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 3307 RUEHAE/AMEMBASSY ASMARA 2082 RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0114 RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0086 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0591 RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 2939 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0837 RUEHYN/AMEMBASSY SANAA 1518 RHPIGXW/CJTF HOA RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0300
UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000615
SIPDIS
CORRECTED COPY - CAPTION ADDED
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER
ADDIS AND ASMARA FOR CONSULAR SECTION
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMED CASC TBIO KFLU EAID EAGR DJ
SUBJECT: UPDATE 2: AVIAN INFLUENZA IN DJIBOUTI
REF: DJIBOUTI 564
DJIBOUTI 578
UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000615
SIPDIS
CORRECTED COPY - CAPTION ADDED
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER
ADDIS AND ASMARA FOR CONSULAR SECTION
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMED CASC TBIO KFLU EAID EAGR DJ
SUBJECT: UPDATE 2: AVIAN INFLUENZA IN DJIBOUTI
REF: DJIBOUTI 564
DJIBOUTI 578
1. (U) Summary. Since our last update, very little new information
has been confirmed. In reftel we referred to a confirmed case in an
eight-year-old girl. Since then we have learned that the child in
question was only two-years-old. She has since recovered nicely.
We believe she may be one of the youngest survivors of H5N1 to
recover without Tamiflu being administered within the first 48
hours of symptom onset. Two of her siblings and her health-care
provider have fallen ill and samples from the three individuals
were sent to NAMRU-3 in Cairo for testing, as well a sick chicken
that the family owned. All returned negative. It is still not clear
how the two-year-old girl became infected. The Government of
Djibouti (GoD) was offering daily briefings at the Ministry of
Health. These briefings have been canceled until further notice
because of the lack of results in carrying out activities that are
planned during these meetings, in particular the culling of chickens
in the capital. End Summary.
What Djibouti is doing:
--------------
2. (U) When H5N1 was confirmed in a person in Damerjog, the
GoD announced that all chickens in the Damerjog area should be
culled and that bird owners would be recompensed for their loss.
The GoD sent representatives to Damerjog, to initiate the culling,
but when the birds were presented they announced the
compensation would be given at a later (undetermined) date. Most
bird owners took their chickens and left the area. The GoD has
since been trying to cull chickens in Damerjog but no official
reports have been released with details of results.
3. (U) Comment. This policy has the potential to bring together
infected and uninfected birds in one area, as upon finding they will
not be paid, the owners return them to their homes, possibly having
cross-contaminated previously healthy birds. However, the 26
samples that were collected all tested negative in tests performed
locally in the French Military hospital and official confirmation
will come from NAMRU-3.
4. (U) At the urging of USAID, the World Health Organization
(WHO) and the French military the Ministry of Agriculture
announced through a communique, on May 21 that it would soon
begin culling operations in the capital, but needed full cooperation
of the population in order to succeed. The communique, did not
provide details such as date or methodology for carrying out this
operation.
What the French are doing:
--------------
5. (U) The French military hospital has the capability to test to
identify H5N1 in both birds and people. The hospital does not
have a level-3 approved laboratory, so samples with positive
findings are sent to Cairo to be confirmed by NAMRU-3. The
French also provided Tamiflu to Djiboutian health officials to
administer to the three patients that had been awaiting test results
as well as the index case of the two year old.
6. (SBU) Reportedly the French military got fed up with the daily
Djiboutian briefing at the Ministry of Health after indications that
the GoD was doing little and providing no new information. The
French announced that they would attend no more meetings until
the GoD or WHO had something to report. The meetings have
therefore been suspended until further notice.
7. (U) ConOff also met with representatives from the French
Consulate to share information about the situation in Djibouti. The
French representatives seemed poorly informed, and hungry for
reliable information. Comment: USAID representative has heard
doubts expressed by the French that Avian Flu really exists in
Djibouti. End Comment.
What the U.S. is doing:
--------------
8. (U) USAID and Embassy representatives attended the daily
briefings until they were suspended. We continue to communicate
one on one with our immediate counterparts in the French
embassy/consulate and with local WHO representatives. Also,
USAID is working with WHO to develop the communication plan
which WHO will execute. USAID will provide $50,000 in funding
to WHO to support this activity which includes production of print
and television/radio materials as well as dissemination of these
materials, technical support and general awareness-raising in the
population. USAID is also providing Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) to GoD and US Military, having distributed 50
sets thus far. Fifty more have arrived and another 2000 are on the
way as well as two lab specimen kits and one decontamination kit.
USAID/Washington has said that it could make available up to
another $100,000 as needed.
9. (U) The U.S. military sent several medical personnel to the area
of Damerjog to look for and sample sick people. However, they
expected the Ministry of Agriculture to be sampling chickens.
When it became clear that the Ministry was not, the U.S. medical
personnel attempted to locate chickens and test them. The military
considered it essential to identify the source or the infected child'
illness. If H5N1 cannot be traced to a chicken with which the girl
had direct contact, new questions are raised. As yet, all fowl
samples from that area have tested negative, and the source has not
been definitively identified.
10. (U) On May 14 ConOff held a Warden Meeting. It was well
attended, with all but one Warden appearing. USAID rep for
health issues presented what we know about AI in Djibouti, as well
as basic information about the virus, and how to protect oneself.
Information pamphlets were distributed. On May 17 Ambassador
held a Town Hall meeting in which CJTF-HOA and USAID
participated. This meeting was poorly attended by AmCits, but
several called ahead of time to inquire as to the content of the
meeting, so we are confident the message got out through
Wardens. Contact with several AmCits after the Town Hall
confirmed that they were aware, but did not feel sufficient anxiety
over H5N1 to warrant attending the meeting. However, the
meeting was attended by several non-AmCits who wanted to know
what information we had to share (specifically: the panel
physician, a CDC representative and the French Consulate.)
11. (U) Embassy Djibouti will continue to transmit to Washington
and the American community information as it becomes available.
RAGSDALE
SIPDIS
CORRECTED COPY - CAPTION ADDED
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER
ADDIS AND ASMARA FOR CONSULAR SECTION
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMED CASC TBIO KFLU EAID EAGR DJ
SUBJECT: UPDATE 2: AVIAN INFLUENZA IN DJIBOUTI
REF: DJIBOUTI 564
DJIBOUTI 578
1. (U) Summary. Since our last update, very little new information
has been confirmed. In reftel we referred to a confirmed case in an
eight-year-old girl. Since then we have learned that the child in
question was only two-years-old. She has since recovered nicely.
We believe she may be one of the youngest survivors of H5N1 to
recover without Tamiflu being administered within the first 48
hours of symptom onset. Two of her siblings and her health-care
provider have fallen ill and samples from the three individuals
were sent to NAMRU-3 in Cairo for testing, as well a sick chicken
that the family owned. All returned negative. It is still not clear
how the two-year-old girl became infected. The Government of
Djibouti (GoD) was offering daily briefings at the Ministry of
Health. These briefings have been canceled until further notice
because of the lack of results in carrying out activities that are
planned during these meetings, in particular the culling of chickens
in the capital. End Summary.
What Djibouti is doing:
--------------
2. (U) When H5N1 was confirmed in a person in Damerjog, the
GoD announced that all chickens in the Damerjog area should be
culled and that bird owners would be recompensed for their loss.
The GoD sent representatives to Damerjog, to initiate the culling,
but when the birds were presented they announced the
compensation would be given at a later (undetermined) date. Most
bird owners took their chickens and left the area. The GoD has
since been trying to cull chickens in Damerjog but no official
reports have been released with details of results.
3. (U) Comment. This policy has the potential to bring together
infected and uninfected birds in one area, as upon finding they will
not be paid, the owners return them to their homes, possibly having
cross-contaminated previously healthy birds. However, the 26
samples that were collected all tested negative in tests performed
locally in the French Military hospital and official confirmation
will come from NAMRU-3.
4. (U) At the urging of USAID, the World Health Organization
(WHO) and the French military the Ministry of Agriculture
announced through a communique, on May 21 that it would soon
begin culling operations in the capital, but needed full cooperation
of the population in order to succeed. The communique, did not
provide details such as date or methodology for carrying out this
operation.
What the French are doing:
--------------
5. (U) The French military hospital has the capability to test to
identify H5N1 in both birds and people. The hospital does not
have a level-3 approved laboratory, so samples with positive
findings are sent to Cairo to be confirmed by NAMRU-3. The
French also provided Tamiflu to Djiboutian health officials to
administer to the three patients that had been awaiting test results
as well as the index case of the two year old.
6. (SBU) Reportedly the French military got fed up with the daily
Djiboutian briefing at the Ministry of Health after indications that
the GoD was doing little and providing no new information. The
French announced that they would attend no more meetings until
the GoD or WHO had something to report. The meetings have
therefore been suspended until further notice.
7. (U) ConOff also met with representatives from the French
Consulate to share information about the situation in Djibouti. The
French representatives seemed poorly informed, and hungry for
reliable information. Comment: USAID representative has heard
doubts expressed by the French that Avian Flu really exists in
Djibouti. End Comment.
What the U.S. is doing:
--------------
8. (U) USAID and Embassy representatives attended the daily
briefings until they were suspended. We continue to communicate
one on one with our immediate counterparts in the French
embassy/consulate and with local WHO representatives. Also,
USAID is working with WHO to develop the communication plan
which WHO will execute. USAID will provide $50,000 in funding
to WHO to support this activity which includes production of print
and television/radio materials as well as dissemination of these
materials, technical support and general awareness-raising in the
population. USAID is also providing Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) to GoD and US Military, having distributed 50
sets thus far. Fifty more have arrived and another 2000 are on the
way as well as two lab specimen kits and one decontamination kit.
USAID/Washington has said that it could make available up to
another $100,000 as needed.
9. (U) The U.S. military sent several medical personnel to the area
of Damerjog to look for and sample sick people. However, they
expected the Ministry of Agriculture to be sampling chickens.
When it became clear that the Ministry was not, the U.S. medical
personnel attempted to locate chickens and test them. The military
considered it essential to identify the source or the infected child'
illness. If H5N1 cannot be traced to a chicken with which the girl
had direct contact, new questions are raised. As yet, all fowl
samples from that area have tested negative, and the source has not
been definitively identified.
10. (U) On May 14 ConOff held a Warden Meeting. It was well
attended, with all but one Warden appearing. USAID rep for
health issues presented what we know about AI in Djibouti, as well
as basic information about the virus, and how to protect oneself.
Information pamphlets were distributed. On May 17 Ambassador
held a Town Hall meeting in which CJTF-HOA and USAID
participated. This meeting was poorly attended by AmCits, but
several called ahead of time to inquire as to the content of the
meeting, so we are confident the message got out through
Wardens. Contact with several AmCits after the Town Hall
confirmed that they were aware, but did not feel sufficient anxiety
over H5N1 to warrant attending the meeting. However, the
meeting was attended by several non-AmCits who wanted to know
what information we had to share (specifically: the panel
physician, a CDC representative and the French Consulate.)
11. (U) Embassy Djibouti will continue to transmit to Washington
and the American community information as it becomes available.
RAGSDALE