Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06HANOI358
2006-02-17 01:59:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Hanoi
Cable title:  

AVIAN INFLUENZA: VIETNAM WEEKLY REPORT FEBRUARY 16

Tags:  TBIO KFLU AMED AMGT CASC EAGR PINR SOCI VM 
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DE RUEHHI #0358/01 0480159
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 170159Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0791
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY PRIORITY 0516
RUEHZS/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 2872
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 5444
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG PRIORITY 0815
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU PRIORITY 0612
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU PRIORITY 0198
RUEHRO/USMISSION UN ROME PRIORITY
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI PRIORITY 1310
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHRC/USDA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//USDP/ISA/AP// PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC//J2/J3/J5//
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC//DHO-3//
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J00/J2/J3/J5//
RHEFAFM/DIRAFMIC FT DETRICK MD//MA-1A//
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 000358 

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 (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 (MFRIEDMAN AND JMACARTHUR)
ROME FOR FAO

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU AMED AMGT CASC EAGR PINR SOCI VM
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: VIETNAM WEEKLY REPORT FEBRUARY 16

REF: HANOI 301

HANOI 00000358 001.2 OF 003


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 000358

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 (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 (MFRIEDMAN AND JMACARTHUR)
ROME FOR FAO

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU AMED AMGT CASC EAGR PINR SOCI VM
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: VIETNAM WEEKLY REPORT FEBRUARY 16

REF: HANOI 301

HANOI 00000358 001.2 OF 003



1. (U) Summary. There have been no new human Avian
Influenza (AI) deaths since late October 2005 and no human
cases over the past 91 days. The Government of Vietnam
(GVN) continues to report no AI outbreaks in poultry since
the last reported incident on December 17, 2005. The
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)
announced that they have developed a vaccine to immunize
chickens and ducks against H5N1. A state-owned institute in
Nha Trang announced that it had successfully produced 200
doses of H5N1 human vaccine from chicken egg embryos in
their laboratory. The World Bank Country Director invited
interested donors to participate in a World Bank-led
assessment mission on AI in early March. A cooperative
agreement signed by the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) and the Pasteur Institute will support
improved internet communications among Vietnam's national
and regional laboratories. The U.N. Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) AI coordinator for Vietnam is placing
more emphasis on upgrading the biosecurity standards of
small-scale operators rather than focusing on eliminating
backyard poultry operations. Officials from the Department
of Agriculture (USDA) and MARD met to discuss hosting a
regional best practices workshop on live poultry markets and
wet markets. End Summary.


2. (U) As of February 15, 2006:

-- No human AI deaths since October 29
-- No new human AI cases in the past 91 days

-- No AI outbreaks in poultry since the last reported
incident on Dec. 17, 2005 in Cao Bang Province


3. (U) Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has called on all
government offices to maintain their vigilance to prevent AI
outbreaks despite the absence of AI outbreaks for three
months. According to local press, Prime Minister Khai
reiterated enforcement of the import ban on poultry products
processed in infected countries and called on the Ministry
of Trade to properly label chicken products in supermarkets
to label point of origin and ensure product safety.


4. (U) As reported previously (reftel),the GVN plans to
launch the second poultry vaccination campaign on February
16 using 150 million doses of bird flu vaccines imported
from China. Deputy Director of MARD's Department of Animal
Health (DAH) Hoang Van Nam stated to local press that the
campaign would cost US$ 6 million.


5. (U) According to local press, the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) announced that they
have developed a vaccine to immunize chickens and ducks
against H5N1. The vaccine was developed using a WHO seed
strain. MARD reports that testing of the vaccine on 2000
ducks is currently underway with good preliminary results.
[NOTE: Post has not seen the clinical data to independently
assess the efficacy of the vaccine. ENDNOTE] Sources at
MARD indicate that if all goes well, they plan to
manufacture 5 million doses by the end of 2006.


6. (U) According to local press, the Nha Trang Vaccine and

HANOI 00000358 002.2 OF 003


Biological Product Institute announced it had successfully
produced 200 doses of H5N1 human vaccine (FLUVAC) from
chicken egg embryos in their laboratory. The resulted of
the test will be known in on/about February 23. The GVN has
approved the applicable research to mass-produce the vaccine
within 18 months. The institute said it would produce
another 3,000 doses for tests and clinical trials on humans
within 18 months.


7. (U) On February 13, the World Bank and United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) convened an informal Chief-of-
Mission donor's meeting to debrief on Beijing AI Donor
Conference and discuss upcoming WB-led assessment mission.
World Bank Country Director Klaus Rohland stressed the
importance of harmonization between the donors' AI
assistance to GVN, particularly in jointly identifying long-
term investment and technical assistance needs. He invited
all interested donors to participate in a World Bank-led
assessment mission on AI in early March. The World Bank is
establishing a regional trust fund that could be used to
support regional stockpiles rather than individual
government stockpiles; specific shortfalls in country-
specific plans; fight serious outbreaks in countries around
the world; and support sharing experience/knowledge (e.g.
GVN support to Nigeria).


8. (U) HHS and the Pasteur Institute (Paris) signed a
cooperative agreement to enlist the Institute's extensive
laboratory network in Southeast Asia to improve laboratory
capacity for identification and diagnosis of influenza
viruses, particularly avian influenza. In Vietnam, the
cooperative agreement will support internet communications
among Vietnam's national and regional public health
laboratory facilities. The agreement will also support a
laboratory biosafety consultant for PI in Vietnam.


9. (SBU) In private discussions with the Agriculture
Attache, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization AI
coordinator for Vietnam Tony Forman suggested that the GVN's
current focus on eliminating backyard operations might be
better put on upgrading the biosecurity of small commercial
operations. These operations often raise poultry in open
areas under crowded and unhygienic conditions and then sell
birds over great distances in live bird markets. The
backyard operations, by contrast, do not offer as great a
threat of spreading the disease particularly as their
poultry is usually slaughtered and consumed in the farm or
village where it is raised. The economic harm eliminating
backyard operations would cause very poor subsistence
farmers is also a concern to FAO. One proposal he suggested
would be to mandate that small commercial operations bring
their biosecurity to acceptable levels within a number of
years or else have their operating licenses revoked. FAO
has expressed this view to the GVN.


10. (SBU) During a regional visit that included meetings in
Hanoi February 9-11, USDA consultant Dr. Percy Hawkes met
with relevant GVN agencies to discuss an AI Market Best
Practices Workshop tentative scheduled in May. The
regional workshop, to be co-organized by MARD's Departments
of Livestock Production and Animal Health, aims to share
lessons and best practices for regulating live poultry

HANOI 00000358 003.2 OF 003


markets and wet markets in urban and rural areas. Dr.
Hawkes commented to the Charge d'Affairs that GVN officials
have a much better understanding of best practices than in
the other countries he has visited, including Cambodia, Laos
and Indonesia.

MARINE