CYPRUS AI UPDATE: VISITING EU EXPERT REPORTS

UNCLAS NICOSIA 000150

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

AMMAN FOR RMO
CAIRO FOR RMO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFLU EAGR EAID KSCA TBIO KSTH WHO AMED CASC
PREL, CY
SUBJECT: CYPRUS AI UPDATE: VISITING EU EXPERT REPORTS
OUTBREAK APPEARS UNDER CONTROL; GOC QUESTIONS TEST RESULTS

REF: A. NICOSIA 125


B. NICOSIA 116

C. NICOSIA 76

D. NICOSIA 74

E. NICOSIA 50

F. NICOSIA 34

G. 05 NICOSIA 1914

H. 05 NICOSIA 1866

I. 05 NICOSIA 1836

J. 05 NICOSIA 1740 AND PREVIOUS


1. (SBU) Summary: At a private briefing February 1, a
visiting EU veterinary expert called the Turkish Cypriot
response to positive H5N1 tests for a cock and hen in north
Cyprus on January 29 (ref b) "adequate," and said the
outbreak appears isolated and under control. Since no other
AI cases have been reported, GoC officials, who are
increasingly worried about AI,s potential impact on tourism,
have publicly questioned the test results, suggesting the
samples may have been inadvertently switched in Turkey. On
February 1, the USAID-funded, UNDP-administered ACT program
hosted a WHO health expert who held a seminar with Greek
Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot health and veterinary experts
designed to foster increased cooperation across the Green
Line. The Embassy issued a warden message January 30 and
began doing outreach to the American community. Also on
February 1, UNFICYP found several dead chickens in a plastic
bag in the buffer zone and handed them over to the Greek
Cypriot veterinary service for testing. Results are not
expected until early next week. End summary.

Readout from Visiting EU Vet Experts
--------------

2. (SBU) Visiting EU veterinary expert Jurgen Lohr told us
February 1 that the Turkish Cypriot response to the two
confirmed cases of H5N1 in poultry in the north Cyprus
village of Incirli (Makrasyka in Greek) had been, "adequate,
not brilliant, but adequate." Lohr, who visited Incirli
(Makrasyka) and several of the villages in the 10km
surveillance zone, said the outbreak appears to be under
control and isolated. He described the Turkish Cypriot
veterinary experts as open and transparent. The incident had
been a good training exercise that has made the Turkish
Cypriot community better prepared for the future.


3. (SBU) Lohr said it was unclear how the birds (a cock and a
hen -- not a turkey and chicken as was widely reported
earlier) contracted H5N1. There were only two alternatives:
1) at least one of the birds had come from Turkey -- the cock
was a half breed of a variety of chicken often used for cock
fighting. The owners, however, reported that chickens had
been in their possession for some time and had not traveled
recently. 2) exposure to migratory birds. There were at
least two lakes in the vicinity where migratory birds have
congregated. If migratory birds were the cause, the Turkish
Cypriots were very fortunate to have caught the outbreak that
quickly. WHO expert Dr. Guenael Rodier noted that most
outbreaks in poultry in other countries had been preceded by
the discovery of clusters of dead wild birds. This had not
been the case in Cyprus, but this could be explained should
the migratory and wild birds on Cyprus all be immune to H5N1
and act as carriers.


4. (SBU) Lohr also noted that the birds had been kept in a
small pen with two other chickens, which tested negative for
H5N1 two days after the death of the cock and hen. Rodier
said it was unusual that the other chickens would not also
have contracted H5N1 but said this was not impossible as some
birds become so overwhelmed by the disease that they die
before they have a chance to spread the virus.


5. (SBU) Lohr also noted that there was still confusion on
when the original samples were sent to Turkey for analysis.
The birds were found dead on January 12 and the Turkish
Cypriot rapid test proved positive for an A-type virus. The
birds were either sent to the laboratory near Izmir, Turkey
on January 13 (during the week-long Bayram holiday) or
January 20. What we do know is that the Izmir laboratory

contacted the Turkish Cypriots on January 22 to inform them
that an egg inoculation test proved positive for H5. At that
point the Turkish Cypriot authorities culled all the poultry
within a 3 km radius and set up a 10km surveillance zone that
included six other villages and a small chicken egg and a
small chicken meat farm (broiler). They also began an
aggressive public information campaign with frequent spots on
television and the radio. The Izmir laboratory sent the
samples to the EU reference laboratory at Weybridge UK only
on January 27. On January 29, Weybridge informed the
European Commission that the two Turkish Cypriot samples
tested positive for highly pathogenic H5N1 of a variety
identical to that found in Turkey.

Greek Cypriot Response
--------------

6. (SBU) The positive test prompted the Greek Cypriot
veterinary service and the UK Sovereign Base Area (SBA) of
Dhekalia to extend the 10km surveillance zone into the
territory they control, including the villages of Achna,
Avgorou, Xylotymbou, Ormidei and Pyla. The UK SBA response
has been to open its territory to the Greek Cypriot
veterinary service and to apply whatever measures the Greek
Cypriots recommend. Both the GoC and the UK SBA also began
applying disinfectant on the tires/feet of all
vehicles/pedestrians passing south across the Green Line.
While this led originally to waits as long as two to three
hours to cross, the process has been streamlined. Statistics
from the Turkish Cypriot police nevertheless show that the
number of Turkish Cypriots crossing south had not changed,
while the number of Greek Cypriots crossing to the north had
dropped 20 percent. Partially in retaliation, Turkish
Cypriot authorities began February 1, applying disinfectant
on vehicles/shoes of cars/pedestrians crossing north.

Greek Cypriot Suggest Samples May Have Been Switched
-------------- --------------

7. (SBU) Given the lack of other confirmed cases of H5N1 and
the survival of the two birds, pen mates, on February 2 the
RoC Health and Agriculture Ministers both publicly questioned
whether the samples tested at Weybridge had really come from
Cyprus. Instead the Ministers, who appeared concerned about
the possible affect of the outbreak on tourism, suggested
that the samples could have been inadvertently switched with
samples from Eastern Turkey at the laboratory in Izmir. Lohr
said that this was a possible scenario, but that it could
neither be confirmed nor ruled out. The Turkish Cypriot
veterinary service had shipped the entire birds to Izmir and
had not kept a sample for itself, thus there was no control
sample that could be used for further testing.


8. (U) Also on February 2, the head of the Cyprus Tourism
Organization reported that so far the outbreak had not had
any effect on tourism. The Cypriot economy is dependent on
the 2.5 million tourists who visit the south every year.
Chicken farmers, however, have been especially hurt.
Industry representatives have reported a drop in sales of
chicken meat and eggs of 70 percent in the south and 90
percent in the north. In the north, there have been reports
that the price of red meat, a substitute for poultry, has
nearly tripled.

USAID Program Facilitating Cooperation Across Green Line
-------------- --------------

9. (SBU) On February 1, the USAID-financed, UNDP-administered
ACT program hosted an educational outreach visit by WHO AI
health expert Guenael Rodier. Rodier led a seminar involving
both Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot veterinary and health
experts and highlighted the need for close cooperation among
the two communities in a press conference. While ACT has
been bringing the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot
veterinary experts together for several months, this is the
first time that health experts from the two communities had
agreed to be in the same room. On February 7, the Public
Affairs section will host a DVC between another WHO AI expert
and Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot health and veterinary
experts.

Embassy Outreach
--------------

10. (U) The Embassy has also increased its AI-related
outreach to the American community. On January 30 the
Embassy issued a warden message. On February 2, consular
officers met with the small American community at Eastern
Mediterranean University in Famagusta, located around 20 kms
from the site of the outbreak. A larger town hall meeting
with the RMO is scheduled for February 8.

Dead Birds Found in Buffer Zone
--------------

11. (SBU) On February 1, UNDP ACT Environment Officer Nic
Jarraud told us that UNFICYP had found around 6 dead birds in
a plastic bag dumped in the buffer zone. Where the birds
came from was not clear. The birds were found in an area
where Turkish Cypriots had frequently dumped garbage and
which was generally only accessible from the north. The
birds had been handed over to the GoC veterinary service
which was testing for AI. Results, however, were not
expected until early next week.

Comment
--------------

12. (SBU) Regardless of the doubts being cast on the veracity
of the samples, both communities have taken the apparent
outbreak very seriously and appear to be doing the right
things. Pending the results of the tests on the dead birds
found in the buffer zone, the outbreak appears isolated and
under control. As Dr. Lohr noted, the incident appears to
have been a good training exercise for both sides and may
have helped spark increased AI-related cooperation between
the two communities. On January 31, at the Turkish Cypriots
invitation, the head of the GoC Veterinary Service even
accompanied Dr. Lohr on his site visits in the north. This
cooperation will most likely be needed in the future as
Cyprus,s location on two major pathways for migratory birds,
makes reintroduction of H5N1 onto the island highly likely.

SCHLICHER