Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06JAKARTA10536
2006-08-24 08:55:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:  

INDONESIA - AUGUST 24 AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) UPDATE

Tags:  TBIO AMED CASC EAGR AMGT PGOV ID KFLU 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9576
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0536/01 2360855
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 240855Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9076
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY
INFO RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFIUU/BUMED WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 9881
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0943
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 1925
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 5420
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 1853
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 2186
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3621
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 0123
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0272
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 010536 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/IET, A/MED AND S/ES-O
DEPT FOR G/AIAG/JLANGE AND RFENDRICK
DEPT FOR OES/FO, OES/EID, OES/PCI, OES/STC AND OES/IHA
DEPT PASS TO USDA/FAS/DLP/HWETZEL AND FAS/ICD/LAIDIG
DEPT ALSO PASS TO USDA/FAS/FAA/DYOUNG AND USDA/APHIS
DEPT ALSO PASS TO USAID/ANE/CLEMENTS AND GH/CARROLL
DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/WSTEIGER/ABHAT/MSTLOUIS AND HHS/NIH
PARIS FOR FAS/AG MINISTER COUNSELOR
CANBERRA FOR APHIS/DHANNAPEL
ROME FOR FAO
NSC FOR JMELINE
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID/RDM/A
USPACOM ALSO PASS TO J07

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO AMED CASC EAGR AMGT PGOV ID KFLU
SUBJECT: INDONESIA - AUGUST 24 AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) UPDATE

REF: A) Jakarta 10492 B) Jakarta 10140 and previous

JAKARTA 00010536 001.2 OF 003


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 010536

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/IET, A/MED AND S/ES-O
DEPT FOR G/AIAG/JLANGE AND RFENDRICK
DEPT FOR OES/FO, OES/EID, OES/PCI, OES/STC AND OES/IHA
DEPT PASS TO USDA/FAS/DLP/HWETZEL AND FAS/ICD/LAIDIG
DEPT ALSO PASS TO USDA/FAS/FAA/DYOUNG AND USDA/APHIS
DEPT ALSO PASS TO USAID/ANE/CLEMENTS AND GH/CARROLL
DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/WSTEIGER/ABHAT/MSTLOUIS AND HHS/NIH
PARIS FOR FAS/AG MINISTER COUNSELOR
CANBERRA FOR APHIS/DHANNAPEL
ROME FOR FAO
NSC FOR JMELINE
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID/RDM/A
USPACOM ALSO PASS TO J07

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO AMED CASC EAGR AMGT PGOV ID KFLU
SUBJECT: INDONESIA - AUGUST 24 AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) UPDATE

REF: A) Jakarta 10492 B) Jakarta 10140 and previous

JAKARTA 00010536 001.2 OF 003



1. (SBU) Summary. At an August 18 meeting in Singapore, officials
from Singapore, Indonesia, and the United States agreed to
continue the proposed Avian Influenza Trilateral Project within
the Tangerang municipality as originally planned (as opposed to
expanding it to the much larger District of Tangerang). Three
Government of Indonesia (GOI) officials participated in a
regional APEC sponsored Pandemic Exercise conference in Singapore
on August 17-18. Budi Tri Akoso, Chairman of the Indonesian
Veterinary Association publicly criticized the GOI on August 11
for failing to adequately cull poultry and for not standardizing
inoculation vaccine and procedures. As of August 23, data from
NAMRU-2 and the Ministry of Health show 62 human AI cases in
Indonesia with 48 fatalities. End Summary.

Trilateral Technical Meeting
--------------


2. (U) Officials from Singapore, Indonesia, and the United
States, met August 18 in Singapore to review the status of the
proposed trilateral project to create an avian influenza free
zone in Tangerang municipality, Banten Province, Indonesia. Yong
Ying-I, Permanent Secretary of the Singaporean MOH hosted the
meeting. Dr. Nyoman Kandun, Director General for Diseases Control
and Environmental Health, Ministry of Health led the Indonesian
delegation. Pat Patterson, Advisor for East Asia, Avian

Influenza Working Group led the U.S. delegation. APHIS, HHS,
USAID and representatives from Embassies Jakarta and Singapore
also participated.


3. (U) During the meeting, participants reached consensus that
the Tangerang project would go forward as originally planned with
the target area to be Tangerang municipality and with the
activities to be planned around both a human and avian focus.
Participants further agreed that initial concerns with the plan's
limited agricultural and veterinary components could be addressed
within the context of the existing plan. Participants agreed on
a "dual track" approach: the Government of Singapore (GOS)
representatives informed the other participants that it has
decided a bilateral agreement between the GOS and GOI will be
sufficient for the GOS to fund the project through the REDI
Centre, regardless of whether or not a formal trilateral
agreement is needed. Implementation of activities will now occur
while other issues are reviewed to determine whether any new
understandings or agreements must be reached involving the
parties. (Note: During a separate U.S.-Singapore bilateral
meeting, Singapore MOH officials announced that Parliament had
authorized Singapore MOH to sign a bilateral agreement with
Indonesia in order to move forward Singapore's participation in
the Tangerang project.)


4. (U) All parties agreed that their principal points of contact
would meet in Jakarta within two weeks to identify appropriate
participants for working groups and establish a timeframe for
follow-up meetings. Dr. Kandun agreed that the GOI would provide
an overall Project Director in order to spearhead implementation
activities. All parties reiterated their financial commitments

JAKARTA 00010536 002.2 OF 003


to the project and their agreement to move forward. Embassy
Jakarta agreed to provide a comprehensive listing of USG AI
activities already underway in Tangerang. The group also agreed
to publicize the project once pilot activities begin.

APEC Seminar on Assessing Pandemic Preparedness
-------------- --------------


5. (U) Three GOI officials participated in a regional seminar
organized by APEC on Pandemic Preparedness in Singapore from
August 17-18. Dr. Nyoman Kandun, Director General for Diseases
Control and Environmental Health; Dr. Tri Satya Putri Naipospos,
Vice Executive Secretary II to the National Committee on Avian
Influenza Management and Pandemic Alert; and Naily Chilmijati
Secretariat Coordinator for the National Committee on Avian

SIPDIS
Influenza Management and Pandemic Alert represented the GOI.
Featured speakers familiarized participants with different
options for assessing their plans, policies and procedures.
Speakers from more experienced economies also shared exercise
experience and best practices with all APEC economies. Lisa
Kramer, a featured speaker from USAID Indonesia, presented on
donor assistance for implementing simulation exercises.

Vet Association Criticizes Efforts to Contain Infected Poultry
-------------- --------------


6. (U) Local press reported that Budi Tri Akoso, Chairman of the
Indonesian Veterinary Association criticized the GOI on August 11
for its efforts to contain AI infected poultry. In addition to
charges that the GOI is not sufficiently culling poultry, Akoso
criticized the GOI for using eight different kinds of poultry
vaccine. "The government should use just one type," he suggested.
"The more vaccines we use, the more likely they are to endanger
other creatures." Experts note that the use of a variety of
vaccines to stop the spread of H5N1 might cause certain strains
of the virus to become more robust and resistant to vaccines.
Akoso also criticized the GOI for using different methods for
disposing of culled chickens.

Human AI Case Profile
--------------


7. (SBU) NAMRU-2 has confirmed four new cases (three fatal) since
we transmitted Ref B. NAMRU-2 data indicates the following AI-
related case profile as of August 23:

-- Number of laboratory confirmed (positive PCR and/or serology)
human AI cases: 62, of which 48 have been fatal (case fatality
rate of 77 percent).

-- Number of probable AI cases 4, with 2 deaths (fatality rate of
50 percent).

-- Number of cases awaiting sequencing at the U.S. CDC: 2.

-- Number of possible untested AI cases under investigation (last
30 days): approximately 22.


JAKARTA 00010536 003.2 OF 003


Note: NAMRU-2 data corrQonds with Ministry of Health data but
may vary at times with AI case figures presented on the official
World Health Organization (WHO) website, which usually lags NAMRU-
2 data by one week. The WHO website, last updated on August 23,
notes 60 human AI cases in Indonesia with 46 deaths. WHO figures
can be accessed at www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza.

PASCOE