NIGER: MAY 26 AVIAN FLU UPDATE

UNCLAS NIAMEY 000531

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D COPY (CAPTION ADDED)

PLEASE PASS TO USAID LISA CHANDONNET;
LONDON AND PARIS PLEASE PASS TO AFRICA WATCHERS;
ROME FOR USUN/ROME
ACCRA PLEASE PASS TO JATINDER CHEEMA AND KRISTIN COONEY OF
USAID/WATH;
OES PLEASE PASS TO JOHN LANGE;
CA/OCS/ACS/AF PLEASE PASS TO STEVE DONLON AND FALASHADE
ROBINSON;
USDA FOR FAS/OA, FAS/DLP, FAS/ICD AND FAS/ITP;
USDA ALSO FOR APHIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU EAID AMED EAGR TOPEC AIDAC AMGT
SENV, XA, NG
SUBJECT: NIGER: MAY 26 AVIAN FLU UPDATE

REF: A. A. NIAMEY 00390

B. B. NIAMEY 00292

C. C. NIAMEY 00245

D. D. NIAMEY 00220

E. E. NIAMEY 00184

F. F. NIAMEY 00155


1. BEGIN SUMMARY. A recent bird die off in the area of
Magaroufa, south of the Nigerien city of Maradi, shows the
menace of bird flu remains in Niger. Although the source of
these bird deaths has yet to be confirmed as the H5N1 strain,
the presence of H5 was detected locally and samples have been
sent on to Padua, Italy to verify the presence of H5N1.
USAID TDYers Dr. Megan Fotheringham and Ms. Beth Krushinske
were in Niamey this week gathering information regarding
Nigerien efforts and capacity to respond to AI. Training on
reporting AI-related information for Nigerien radio and
television personalities ended this week, with training for
journalists to follow. To date, no human cases of AI have
been reported n Niger, and the only recent reported bird die
off is in the area of Magaroufa. END SUMMARY.


2. LARGE BIRD DIE OFF IN MAGAROUFA: In the Magaroufa area,
south of the Nigerien city of Maradi, immediately abutting
the Nigerian border, approximately 500 chickens have died in
the last two weeks. Quarantine measures and the interdiction
of trading in poultry was instituted. The Niamey Central
Laboratory for Animal Raising (Laboratoire Central De
L'Elevage) confirmed the presence of H5 in samples. These
samples were flown to Padua, Italy for a further evaluation
to determine whether H5N1 is present. Results are expected
next week. Some families who ate dead chickens in the
Magaroufa area had members fall ill. These individuals were
treated with antibiotics and seem to be recovering. At this
point, there are no indications the source of the human
malady was AI. The individuals ate birds that had already
expired, consequently there is a good chance their sickness
was due to food poisoning. However, if the bird flesh samples
sent to Padua test positive for the presence of AI, the
samples taken from the humans who fell ill will be tested for
H5N1 by CERMES (Centre de Recherche Medicale et Sanitaire) in
Niamey. There is a high suspicion that if AI is confirmed in
the Magaroufa area, it likely came from Nigeria, as this
region sits in very close proximity to the border. It is
hoped that if AI is confirmed as the source of this latest
bird die off in Niger the response will be more rapid than
the approximate two months that were necessary to mount a
culling operation in Magaria, the last confirmed AI outbreak
in Niger.


3. MOST OF NIGER SEEMS CALM: Samples taken from dead birds
in the regions of Agadez, Diffa and Dosso proved to be
negative for the presence of AI. The area of Magaria, where
the only confirmed bird flu outbreak to date in Niger took
place, has had its level of surveillance downgraded.


4. RADIO AND TELEVISION AI TRAINING DONE: Thanks in large
part to funding from UNICEF, the training of radio
personalities as well as individuals from Nigerien television
was completed this past week. With radio being the most
prevalent medium in Niger, familiarizing these community
personalities with AI is of obvious benefit. The next group
to receive AI familiarization training will be newspaper
journalists.


5. USAID TDYERS IN COUNTRY: Dr. Elizabeth Krushinske and
Ms. Megan Fotheringham have had a number of meetings with AI

principals in Niger. Ms. Fotheringham participated in the
weekly AI conference call with the Department, as well as
provided an outbrief to Ambassador Allen. Funding previously
promised by AID for anti-AI activities in the region of
Tahoua is expected to be released to FAO soon after Ms.
Fotheringham and Dr. Krushinske confer with USAID in
Washington and finalize the FAO proposal submitted to the
Embassy.


6. STILL NO TAMIFLU: Niger does not yet have a Tamiflu
stock. However, according to a representative of the
national pharmaceutical company, ONPPC, the delivery date for
the doses ordered with French Embassy funding has been moved
up from the initial April 2007 time frame to November 2006.


7. NIGERIEN VETERINARY LABS LACK CAPABILITIES: The Central
Laboratory for Animal Raising (Laboratoire Central D'Elevage)
in Niamey has exhausted its supply of sample collection kits,
according to the Director. He said personnel performing
surveillance in Niger lack the means to accomplish their
work, due to challenges such as insufficient transport. The
AID personnel visiting Niamey noted the lab lacked basic
diagnostic equipment. Embassy Niamey's DAO office applied for
three (3) separate grants of $100,000 USD each to provide
upgrades to the central laboratory in Niamey as well the labs
in Tahoua and Zinder. Post's DAO office estimates that a
response to its request will be received mid-June.


8. UNDP MEETING TO DISCUSS DAKAR CONFERENCE ON AI: Econoff
Gage and Ms. Fotheringham attended a UNDP meeting for donors
in Niamey on Thursday, May 25th. Considerable time was given
to discussing the regional UNDP AI meeting in Dakar that
attracted 13 of 19 invited countries. At this event Niger
was selected to discuss humanitarian implications in the
event of a pandemic. AI Contingency Plans, developed through
the discourse offered at the Dakar meeting, will be available
by May 31, to all the invited countries. UNDP Niger hopes to
test the Contingency Plan on July 15. U.S. (Note: The GON
has yet to formally endorse the AI plan developed by it own
Interministerial Committee on Bird Flu.)


9. WORLD BANK FUNDING FOR AI: The GON received an offer
from the World Bank (WB) to use credits originally destined
for a privatization project in the fight against AI. GON
resistance to using loans to address AI was strong, as it
seemed to have misunderstood the WB offer. According to a WB
Economist stationed in Niamey, the credits were part of a
package of aid for which Niger received debt forgiveness.
Thus, the credits have effectively become grants. The WB
economist estimates that up to 2 million USD would be
available for GON AI activities. He mentioned that this
funding could be used for surveillance along the border with
Nigeria as well as within Niger. In addition, laboratory
upgrades and compensation for farmers could be paid from
these monies. The WB Economist asked that Embassy Niamey
encourage a representative of the Prime Minister's cabinet to
pursue World Bank funding for GON AI initiatives.

ALLEN