VIETNAM - SEPTEMBER 15 AVIAN INFLUENZA REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002361 SIPDIS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED SIPDIS STATE FOR G, CA/OCS/ACS/EAP, EAP/EX, EAP/MLS, EAP/EP, INR, OES/STC, OES/IHA, MED STATE PASS TO USAID FOR ANE AND GH STATE PASS TO USTR ELENA BRYAN 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 (JMACARTHUR AND MBRADY) ROME FOR FAO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KFLU AMED AMGT CASC EAGR PINR SOCI VM SUBJECT: VIETNAM - SEPTEMBER 15 AVIAN INFLUENZA REPORT SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED REF: HANOI 2114 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (U) Summary. There have been no reported human AI cases and no confirmed AI outbreak activity in poultry to date this year in Vietnam. A suspected outbreak of AI in ducks was reported in Dong Nai province in southern Vietnam. Vietnam has tested a vaccine for white-winged ducks and will soon decide whether to begin widespread vaccination. Vietnam announced that it had received USD 1 million in assistance from the United States for H5N1 vaccine testing on humans. At a meeting on September 6 to establish a coordinated action plan to cope with any new outbreak, Vietnamese authorities announced that procedures at airports and border entry points would be tightened. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Outbreaks: There have been no reported human AI cases and no confirmed AI outbreak activity in poultry to date this year in Vietnam. The state-owned press reported that over 400 ducks were culled in Vietnam's southern Dong Nai province in Ngoc Dinh commune of Dinh Quan district after 100 ducks died suspiciously amid fears bird flu might recur. Farmers in the province have over 80,000 ducks while those in provincial capital Bien Hoa have 126,000 quails and 500 ducks. Live ducks have been illegally sold in the last few days in the province. ¶3. (U) Vietnam will decide whether to vaccinate white-winged ducks against bird flu virus or not by the end of this week after the successful trial use of a vaccine produced by the Italian firm Merial, local media reported. Over 80 percent of white-winged ducks being vaccinated against an H5N9 virus strain in a trial vaccination have developed immunity ability, according to Truong Van Dung, director of the country's Veterinary Institute. While Vietnam has instituted a national poultry vaccination campaign, animal health authorities have yet to procure a suitable vaccine for the country's white-winged duck population of nearly 10 million. ¶4. (U) Vietnam Gets USD 1 million in Assistance for H5N1 Vaccine Testing on Humans: Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved the receipt of a grant of USD 1 million from the Department of Health and Human Services to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology to carry out a H5N1 vaccine trial program on humans, Dr. Nguyen Tran Hien, the institute's director said on September 6. The program follows national scientific research on developing an effective vaccine against H5N1 from monkey's kidney cells, which has brought good results after one year of testing on animals, added Hien. The research has been submitted to the Scientific Council of the Ministry of Science and Technology for consideration and then will be presented to the Scientific Council of the Ministry of Health (MoH) for final approval, the director also said. Previously, the institute planned to carry out testing of a locally-made H5N1 vaccine on humans in October. The institute will conduct preliminary tests on 30 volunteers before entering the second phase of testing in which they plan to continue trials on 300 people. ¶5. (U) Local press reported on September 6 that airport authorities have tightened examination of passengers at Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat international airport, according to Southern Aviation Authority Deputy General Director Vu Van Ngu. The deputy general director announced the tighter assessment procedures at a meeting to establish a coordinated action plan to cope with any new outbreak. HANOI 00002361 002 OF 002 The new procedures - part of the action plan - would help identify people suspected of infection and arrange for them to go to the hospital as soon as possible. The Health Department would also issue the aviation authority with daily bird flu reports from throughout the world so that any arrivals could be monitored. Health officials, airport customs officers and police and representatives of the international health examination centre attended the meeting. The plan was expected to be approved by the following week with the Southern Aviation Authority responsible for its implementation among the 25 international airlines that fly in and out of HCM City. ¶6. (U) Local press also reported that the Customs Officers in Dien Bien Province, bordering Laos, warn that examination of humans and goods for bird flu at border gates has not yet been properly implemented. The office reports that work has been entrusted to provincial customs and border guard teams, but these teams, previously confined to administrative procedures and tax and fees collections, need help to do the job. During the first eight months of this year, a total of 11,782 people were reported entering and exiting with more than 200,000 tons of goods through the Tay Trang border gate with Laos. ¶7. (U) As of September 15, 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 December 17, 2005 in Cao Bang Province MARINE