SUDAN ? AVIAN FLU UPDATE 9 ? JULY 17

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001709 SIPDIS AIDAC SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AFR/SP NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, AND FAS USMISSION UN ROME GENEVA FOR NKYLOH NAIROBI FOR SFO NSC FOR JBRAUSE, NSC/AFRICA FOR TSHORTLEY USUN FOR TMALY BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI KFLU SU SUBJECT: SUDAN ? AVIAN FLU UPDATE 9 ? JULY 17 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. On July 2, 2006, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) convened a meeting of the Technical Task Force on Avian Influenza (AI) in Khartoum. Following a three-week period during which no cases were reported, on July 12, FAO reported a new outbreak of AI in Khartoum State. Planning for the upcoming AI vaccination campaign is ongoing. The committee formed to address issues related to the economic impact of AI estimates that compensation of affected farmers will be approximately USD 10 million. The release of the joint proposal of FAO, the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF),and the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) on actions needed to mitigate and contain the AI outbreak has been delayed by nearly two months. End summary. -------------- Outbreak Update -------------- ¶2. At the July 2 AI Task Force meeting in Khartoum, FAO reported that no new cases had been reported in the previous three weeks. On July 12, however, FAO reported that a new outbreak had been detected on a farm in Khartoum State on July 6: 4,500 birds have since died or been culled. AI outbreaks in Sudan appear to follow a pattern similar to the Nigerian case, wherein after a three-to-four week quiet period another outbreak starts. According to FAO, epidemiological investigation is required to determine possible factors for why the new outbreaks are occurring. Possible reasons include among others, changes in feed, the introduction of new poultry, worker movements, and visits by wild birds. The AI Task Force has stressed the need for sustaining and improving AI surveillance activities. The Task Force also recommends that samples be taken from people who were in contact with the infected birds, including the farm workers, the farm owner, and culling team. More than 241 farms in Sudan are presently affected by AI. ¶3. Preparations are ongoing for the poultry vaccination program to be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture Khartoum State, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries and the Federal Veterinary Laboratory. Priority will be given for breeders, then layers, and then broilers followed by backyard poultry. Three breeder farms in Sudan have already been identified, and sampling for the farms has been carried out by a committee with technical support from the USAID/USDA consultant seconded to FAO. ¶4. The committee formed and assigned to study issues related to the economic impact of AI on the poultry industry in Sudan estimates compensation costs for farmers at USD 10 million. The compensation includes funds to account for lost stock and to reestablish the poultry industry in the affected states. -------------- Coordination -------------- ¶5. No representative from the Ministry of Health attended the July 2 Task Force meeting. The Task Force assigned WHO to contact the Ministry of Health to obtain more information about the status of AI in humans and stressed the need to monitor the status of poultry workers, particularly those on AI-affected farms. -------------- Contributions -------------- ¶6. The revised joint FAO/UNICEF/WHO proposal on AI outbreak containment and mitigation activities has not yet been presented to donors. The proposal has been delayed nearly two months due to ongoing consultations among the relevant UN agencies? headquarters. FAO has KHARTOUM 00001709 002 OF 002 allocated USD 250,000 for the AI control program in Sudan, and USAID has provided FAO USD 200,000, to date. USAID-donated personal protective equipment (PPE) has arrived in Khartoum for distribution according to a plan developed by FAO, in consultation with the Federal Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries and approved by the AI Task Force. -------------- South Sudan - Preparedness -------------- ¶7. The USAID/USDA consultant seconded to FAO visited Juba from June 22 to 26, 2006. During this trip, the USAID/OFDA consultant provided an update about the AI situation in Northern Sudan and conducted training for eight staff at the Juba Veterinary Laboratory. This training included instruction on using PPE; packing and labeling specimens; taking blood and swabs (cloacal/tracheal) from live chickens; performing postmortem examinations to show anatomy; and determining the type of tissue that must be submitted for a diagnosis of AI. The USAID/USDA consultant also met with the South Sudan Task Force which consists of high- level WHO, UNICEF, FAO, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries officials. STEINFELD