INDONESIA - JULY 10 AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) UPDATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 008621 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/PETTRIE 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 ROME FOR FAO NSC FOR JMELINE BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID/RDM/A, APHIS/CARDENAS BEIJING FOR APHIS/GREENE USPACOM ALSO PASS TO J07 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO AMED CASC EAGR AMGT PGOV ID KFLU SUBJECT: INDONESIA - JULY 10 AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) UPDATE REF: A) Jakarta 8259 and previous JAKARTA 00008621 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Singaporean Embassy contacts expressed openness to revising key elements in the Singapore-Indonesia- U.S. Tangerang pilot project during a June 29 meeting with U.S. officials. The Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) office in Jakarta has received reports from a reputable private sector poultry analyst indicating a "massive" AI outbreak among chicken populations in Sukabumi, West Java. The Indonesian television program "Channel 4 News" featured a story on July 4 showing a new FAO program that sends workers to interview villagers to identify sites with unreported cases of avian influenza among birds. Embassy Jakarta has approved an NSDD-38 request from the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to open an office in Indonesia including direct hire and local personnel. The Mission's Naval Medical Research Center (NAMRU-2) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) have identified probable H5N1 infection in a three-year old girl from Tangerang who died on July 6. End Summary. Tangerang Follow-up with Embassy Singapore -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Dr. Michael St. Louis, International Influenza Unit Director at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),APHIS Poultry Disease Specialist Cheryl Hall, and new ESTH Officer Colette Marcellin met Singapore Embassy DCM Lim Hong Huai on June 29 to discuss follow-up on the Tangerang pilot project. Huai said the Government of Singapore (GOS) perceives that the Government of Indonesia (GOI) is reluctant to pursue the Tangerang pilot project for two reasons. First, the GOI's is reluctant to finalize a letter of intent due to concerns about ownership of the intellectual property rights (IPR) of any inventions that might flow out of the project as well as the recognition of Indonesian scientists. The second involves sensitivities concerning the participation and status of NAMRU-2. In response, we advised Huai that the GOI's concerns about IPR issues deriving from the Tangerang project may be overrated. We also emphasized the central role NAMRU-2 plays in the Mission's response to AI in Indonesia and the importance of including it as part of the U.S. contribution to the trilateral. ¶3. (SBU) We noted the current trilateral project proposal emphasizes human health over animal health at a 3-to-1 funding ratio. This is very likely a misallocation of resources given the magnitude of the AI threat in the animal sector, and should be reversed. Noting Singapore's lack of an agricultural sector, Huai explained that the GOS's proposed contribution focused on the human health side but noted Singapore is "open to changes" and requested that the Embassy provide a concrete starting plan for control of H5N1 in avian populations in Tangerang. Representatives from APHIS and FAO met on July 6 to begin drafting this document. ¶4. (SBU) We also advised that Indonesia and Singapore JAKARTA 00008621 002.2 OF 003 consider expanding the target area for the trilateral to include the entire district (kabupaten) of Tangerang given the minimal presence of poultry in the much smaller municipality (kota) of Tangerang. We suggested that a site visit by a combination of technical experts and local political leaders to poultry-raising areas of the district would be helpful in specifying an appropriate target area for the project as well as an implementation plan. Huai expressed willingness to work closely with Embassy to expedite planning of the project. Major Outbreak Among Poultry in Sukabumi, West Java -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) office in Jakarta has received sketchy reports from a reputable private sector poultry analyst about a "massive" AI outbreak in Sukabumi, West Java, over the past three weeks. The outbreak reportedly occurred in Sectors 1, 2, and 3, (breeder, layer and broiler farms). When we contacted them for confirmation, Ministry of Agriculture officials noted that DINAS (district level) agriculture officials had not reported the outbreak but that the private sector had informed the Ministry. As a result, Ministry staff claimed to have no official details on the outbreak. They said cooperation with the larger poultry companies is poor, and that DINAS officials are not provided access to large-scale poultry producing facilities, thereby limiting the ability of the Ministry to understand what is happening on the ground through official channels. ¶6. (SBU) The GOI apparently has not yet notified the International Epizootics Organization (OIE) of the outbreak, as is required of members. Officials at the national AI coordinating office have also not received notification of the outbreak. FAO Program Filmed During Outbreak -------------- ¶7. (U) The Indonesian television program "Channel 4 News" carried a feature on July 4 showing a new FAO program that sends workers to interview villagers in areas with unreported cases of avian influenza in birds. Upon entering the village, the British film team ITV and FAO workers encountered large numbers of sick and dead birds from an area where cases had not been reported. The film was a graphic demonstration of the potential value of expanded, village-level surveillance programs in Indonesia. Establishment of APHIS Office -------------- ¶8. (U) Embassy Jakarta has approved a NSDD-38 request from APHIS to open an office in Jakarta to include one direct hire, two local veterinarians, one local agricultural scientist, and one local administrative assistant for a total of five personnel. JAKARTA 00008621 003.2 OF 003 Human AI Case Profile -------------- ¶9. (SBU) On July 7, NAMRU-2 and MOH tests indicated probable H5N1 infection in a three-year old girl from Tangerang who died on July 6 at Cipto Mangunkusomo Hospital in Jakarta. NAMRU-2 data indicates the following AI-related case profile as of July 10: -- Number of laboratory confirmed (positive PCR and/or serology) human AI cases: 54, of which 42 have been fatal (case fatality rate of 78 percent). -- Number of probable AI cases: 5, with 3 deaths (fatality rate of 60 percent). -- Number of cases awaiting verification by the US CDC: 2. -- Number of possible AI cases under investigation (last 30 days): approximately 8. ¶10. (SBU) Note: NAMRU-2 data correspond 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 lag NAMRU-2 data by one week. The WHO website (last updated on July 4) currently notes 52 human AI cases to date in Indonesia with 40 deaths. WHO figures can be accessed at www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza. Pascoe