AI Update: Guangdong 2nd Possible Human AI Case

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 017685 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/CM STATE PLEASE PASS NIH USDOC FOR 4420/ITA/MAC/MCQUEEN, CELICO, DAS LEVINE STATE PASS USTR USPACOM FOR FPA HHS FOR STEIGER, BHAT AND ELVANDER, OGHA REF: A) Beijing 11163; B) Guangzhou 9084; C) Guangzhou 6174 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KFLU TBIO EAGR PGOV CH SUBJECT: AI Update: Guangdong 2nd Possible Human AI Case GUANGZHOU 00017685 001.2 OF 002 (U) THIS DOCUMENT IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. NOT FOR RELEASE OUTSIDE U.S. GOVERNMENT CHANNELS. NOT FOR INTERNET PUBLICATION. ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On June 14, the Guangdong Provincial Health Department confirmed Guangdong has a second suspected avian influenza (AI) case, in Shenzhen, near the Hong Kong border. On June 15, the Guangdong Province Foreign Affairs Office sent a diplomatic note to the Consulate also detailing the case. The case has been sent to the Ministry of Health, which still must make the final confirmation whether the case is AI. It is not clear how the victim contracted AI, since he had not been in direct contact with wild birds. This second mysterious human AI case seems to indicate there are some unreported AI cases among Guangdong Province's one billion chickens. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) On June 14, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that the Guangdong Health Department declared a second suspected human avian influenza case had occurred in Guangdong Province. That same day, the Guangdong Provincial Health Department confirmed its announcement to the Consulate. Later on June 14, the Guangdong Province Foreign Affairs office sent a diplomatic note essentially confirming what the Consulate had learned already learned. The diplomatic note said the individual began showing symptoms on June 3, including waist pain, fever, cold aversion and coughing. On June 9 he sought treatment at the Shenzhen People's Hospital. The Provincial Public Health Department has reported to the Ministry of Health for confirmation diagnosis. The last human AI case in Guangdong Province was a Guangzhou city man who fell ill on February 22 and died on March 2 (see ref C). Biographical Background of the Case -------------- ¶3. (U) According to the Guangdong Health Department, the patient, named Jiang O, 31, is a truck driver working in Longgang District of Shenzhen (currently no information on his original residence). Investigations show that Jiang did not have direct contact with any direct contact with live poultry before falling ill. According to Hong Kong authorities quoted in the SCMP, Jiang had bought vegetables several times at a wet market, which also sells chickens. The only possible contact Jiang had with poultry occurred two weeks before the onset of his illness when he and his family ate a freshly slaughtered chicken Jiang's wife had bought at a local market and cooked at home. The rest of Jiang's family did not show similar symptoms, but they have been put under medical observation. Government reactions -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The Guangdong Health Department said that tests from both the Guangdong CDC and the Shenzhen CDC both showed positive results of A/H5N1 virus. Guangdong Health Department's specialists diagnosed the case and made an initial judgment of an AI infection. Later, as part of its action policy, the department sent Jiang's case to the Ministry of Health for confirmation diagnosis. The Party Committees and Governments of Guangdong and Shenzhen quickly responded to the infection. Following Vice Governor Lei Yulan's instruction, Shenzhen initiated their emergency reaction plan to conduct close medical monitoring and treatment of the patient and disinfect the possibly contaminated areas. According to the diplomatic note, health departments have implemented control and prevention measures according to the emergency plan and are trying their best to treat the patient. Comment: Hidden AI Cases in Guangdong? -------------- GUANGZHOU 00017685 002 OF 002 ¶5. (SBU) If Jiang is confirmed to have AI, he would be the 19th AI case in China. All but one of these cases has occurred without an associated confirmed outbreak of AI among nearby poultry. This trend supports the conclusions of Beijing 11163 (see ref A). China's surveillance on human AI cases seems to be far more advanced than its surveillance on poultry AI cases. It seems odd that human AI cases are occurring throughout China, with no apparent connection to bird outbreaks. The most likely explanation is that many more birds are infected than is reported by veterinary officials. The problem is that local farmers are concerned about the economic instability from culling large number of birds and thus are not as aggressive as they could be about reporting AI outbreaks. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has also highlighted this as a concern. ¶6. (SBU) Guangdong Province has one billion chickens, yet the province has not reported an AI poultry outbreak in years. Now with possibly two human AI cases in the last few months, there are likely AI cases among Guangdong birds that simply have not been reported because of fear of economic loss. ¶7. Embassy Beijing and Consulate Hong Kong have cleared on this cable. DONG