VIETNAM - JUNE 30 AVIAN INFLUENZA REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001629 SIPDIS STATE FOR G, CA/OCS/ACS/EAP, EAP/EX, EAP/MLS, EAP/EP, INR, OES/STC (PBATES),OES/IHA (DSINGER AND NCOMELLA),AND MED STATE PASS TO USAID FOR ANE AND GH (DCARROLL, SCLEMENTS AND PCHAPLIN) STATE PASS TO USTR (EBRYAN) STATE PASS TO HHS/OGHA (WSTIEGER, EELVANDER AND ABHAT) USDA PASS TO APHIS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (LSTERN) BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID (MFRIEDMAN, JMACARTHUR AND MBRADY) ROME FOR FAO SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KFLU AMED AMGT CASC EAGR PINR SOCI VM SUBJECT: VIETNAM - JUNE 30 AVIAN INFLUENZA REPORT HANOI 00001629 001.2 OF 002 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED REF: HANOI 1280 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (U) Summary. The Government of Vietnam (GVN) will resume breeding of duck hatchlings starting in July. The breeding of waterfowl such as duck and geese was suspended in November 2005. State media continues to report that the national poultry vaccination campaign is behind schedule, with nineteen cities and provinces in Vietnam having completed the first round of vaccinations in 2006 and thirteen cities and provinces conducting the second injections of the first round, which was expected to be completed by the end of May. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced its support for a public-private partnership to strengthen the capacity of veterinarians and poultry farmers by upgrading animal health information systems, improving bio-safety measures of small poultry farmers, and providing AI educational materials in Thai Nguyen Province. The GVN continues to report no AI outbreaks in poultry or humans over the past seven months. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Vietnamese state media reported on June 29 that the Animal Health Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has decided to allow the breeding of duck hatchlings starting in July. The breeding of waterfowl such as ducks and geese was suspended in November 2005. In February 2006, the MARD allowed chicken breeders to resume production, and farmers have since been required to immunize day-old hatchlings before selling them. Seven months ago, the H5N1 incident rate among waterfowl was reportedly as high as 80 percent in monitored areas. It is believed that waterfowl can carry the H5N1 virus without showing symptoms. ¶3. (U) State media continues to report that the national poultry vaccination campaign is "seriously lagging behind schedule." In a Nhan Dan Newspaper article dated June 28, the Animal Husbandry Department of MARD stated that 110.6 million poultry have been vaccinated of the 130 million planned to be vaccinated by the end of May. (NOTE: These are the same figures reported in press on June 4. END NOTE) The same article reported that nineteen cities and provinces in Vietnam have completed the first round of vaccinations while thirteen cities and provinces are currently conducting the second injections of the first round. The department blamed the slowdown on a shortage of funds and a growing complacency among local governments because Vietnam has not experienced any poultry outbreaks in poultry since December. ¶4. (U) State media reported on June 27 that the Ministry of Health had not yet received an official confirmation from the World Health Organization regarding the information of human-to-human transmission of AI in Sumatra, Indonesia. In Vietnam, Vice Director of the Health Provision Department of MOH Dr Nguyen Van Binh informed the press that no human-to-human transmission has been documented in Vietnam, although there have been reported cases of two or three family members dieing as a result of the disease. ¶5. (U) USAID announced its support for a new public-private alliance to help prevent AI outbreaks in poultry, bringing the total 2006 USG assistance for AI in Vietnam to over USD 7 million. This new alliance represents a joint effort between USAID, the GVN, provincial Sub-Departments of Animal Health, Agronomies and Veterinaires Sans Frontiers (AVSF),Pfizer Animal Health Group, HANOI 00001629 002.2 OF 002 Synbiotics, Evilais, Proconco and other agricultural businesses. ¶6. (U) With an initial investment of USD 55,000 investment, USAID's Global Development Alliance is leveraging funds provided by the private sector to support efforts to strengthen the capacity of veterinarians and poultry farmers as they work to prevent and control AI outbreaks in Vietnam. The nine-month project, with an estimated budget of USD $185,000, will start by providing support to veterinarians in Thai Nguyen Province to improve their diagnosis of AI, train veterinarians on AI epidemiological processes and tools, upgrade GVN's animal health information systems, improve the bio-safety measures of small poultry farmers, and provide national dissemination of AI educational materials. USAID's AI programs focus on five key objectives for improved readiness and response capacity: planning and preparedness, surveillance, outbreak response, communications, and stockpiling essential supplies and equipment. ¶7. (U) As of June 30, 2006: -- No human AI deaths since October 29, 2005 -- No human AI cases since November 14, 2005 -- No AI outbreaks in poultry since the last reported incident on Dec. 17, 2005 in Cao Bang Province Marine