WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION REGIONAL OFFICE IN MANILA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 002207

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR UNDER SECRETARY PDOBRIANSKY
STATE FOR OES/IHA FOR JKAUFMANN, DSINGER AND RDALEY
STATE FOR INR/EAP FOR JSTROTZ
STATE PASS USDA/FAS/ICD FOR ROSENBLUM
STATE PASS USDA/FAS/DL&P FOR MAGINNIS
STATE PASS USDA/FAS/ITP/AA FOR ALEXANDER
STATE PASS USDA/FAS/FAA FOR HAGER
STATE PASS USDA/APHIS/IS FOR HOFFMAN
STATE PASS USDA/APHIS/VS FOR DUVERNOY
STATE PASS USDA/ARS/SEPRL FOR SUAREZ
STATE PASS USAID FOR DCARROLL AND ACLEMENTS
BANGKOK FOR REO JAMES WALLER
CIA FOR NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE COUNCIL NIO/EA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO SENV EAGR EAID PREL RP
SUBJECT: WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION REGIONAL OFFICE IN MANILA
DISCUSSES RECENT INDONESIAN DEATHS

REF: A) JAKARTA 6495 B) MANILA 1567 C) MANILA 860
D) STATE 023826 E) 05 STATE 209622

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SUMMARY
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1. World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office in
Manila outlined to Econoffs recent developments in North
Sumatra, Indonesia involving a large cluster of avian
influenza deaths. WHO confirmed that a group of seven
family members contracted the disease; six have died. WHO
was unable to determine the source of the outbreak and could
not rule out human-to-human transmission. Virus samples
taken from the victims showed no signs of mutation, and WHO
confirmed that the samples were H5N1 avian flu, according to
the WHO Manila office. End summary.

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WHO OFFICIAL DISCUSSES INDONESIA'S AI CLUSTER
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2. Dr. Peter Cordingley at the World Health Organization
(WHO) Regional Office in Manila provided background to
Econoffs on May 24 on the recent cluster of avian influenza
(AI) deaths in Indonesia's Northern Sumatra region reported
by Reuters and sourced to WHO Manila. A "cluster" is
defined as a group of infected people living close together
and contracting the virus within a narrow timeframe.
Cordingley said that the WHO has suspected human-to-human
transmission in several instances in Thailand and Vietnam
involving small clusters of two or three people. The
recent outbreak in Indonesia, with seven or eight persons
infected, represents the largest known cluster of human
avian influenza cases to date. This individual may have
been exposed to infected birds. Cordingley said it is
likely that seven of the victim's family members contracted
AI from a human source as there is no evidence that this
group encountered infected animals or contaminated
droppings. The suspected initial human source in this case
was the first family member to die, and that person was
buried prior to any suspicion of AI and without medical
examination. Cordingley said that WHO doctors working in
Indonesia and Hong Kong confirmed that the Sumatra deaths
are attributable to the H5N1 strain, with blood samples
tested locally and in Hong Kong.

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NO MUTATION IN AI VIRUS
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3. Cordingley said that recent news reports were not fully
accurate and underplayed some "good news." Virus samples
from the Indonesian cluster showed no signs of mutating into
a new virus strain that could easily transfer between
humans. Cordingley was careful to note that this H5N1
transmission was not necessarily human-to-human. He said
that WHO was certain that this incident did not reflect the
presence of a pandemic strain. However, he could not rule
out human-to-human transmission of H5N1. He said that WHO
Geneva remains intensely interested in understanding this
cluster and has dispatched a team to Sumatra to investigate.


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CONTINUED COORDINATION
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4. A representative from Health and Human Services -
Center for Disease Control will be coming to Manila May 28-
31 2006 to meet with staff from WHO/Western Pacific Regional
Office (WPRO) to discuss the renewal of the WPRO cooperative
agreement and avian influenza activities in Southeast Asia.

KENNEY