BURMA AI OUTBREAK UPDATE - MARCH 17

UNCLAS RANGOON 000364

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MLS; PACOM FOR FPA; UDSA FOR FAS/PECAD,
FAS/CNMP, FAS/AAD, APHIS; BANGKOK FOR USAID (JOHN
MACARTHUR),APHIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR EAID AMED PGOV PREL CASC TBIO KFLU BM
SUBJECT: BURMA AI OUTBREAK UPDATE - MARCH 17

REF: RANGOON 359


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. The FAO/WHO assessment team is on the
ground in Mandalay to investigate confirmed cases of AI at
poultry farms in the district. Supplementary supplies of PPE
and disinfectant arrived in Rangoon on March 16 and some have
already reached the field investigation teams in Mandalay.
Outbreaks continue to occur on poultry farms in and around
Mandalay. Although field tests conducted on the new
outbreaks are negative, authorities are destroying chickens
-- just to be safe. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) The joint FAO/WHO assessment team, joined by Dr.
John MacArthur of USAID Bangkok (reftel),arrived in Mandalay
on March 17 morning. FAO/WHO carried a portion of the 500
liters of disinfectant and 100 PPEs that arrived in Rangoon
from FAO Bangkok on March 16. They handed the supplies to
representatives of the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary
Department (LBVD) who met them at the airport. LBVD will
deliver the supplies to field investigation teams today. The
FAO is transporting the balance of the disinfectant and PPEs
to Mandalay by road. It should reach Mandalay by late March
17 or 18.


3. (SBU) Dr. Wantanee Kalpravidh, a veterinary expert from
FAO Bangkok, shipped the PPEs and disinfectant by pouch from
Bangkok. According to USAID regional expert Dr. John
MacArthur, these supplies "are not from USAID stocks." They
are apparently FAO stock kept in Bangkok.


4. (SBU) The assessment team in Mandalay reported on March 17
afternoon that chicken die-offs continue at several
additional poultry farms in and around Mandalay. So far,
rapid field tests have yielded negative results, but the LBVD
is concerned that the test kits may be yielding "false
negatives," so they have decided to destroy the surviving
chickens to be safe. The assessment team visited one farm
within greater Mandalay where there was an 18 percent
die-off. When the assessment team left the farm the
government field team was disinfecting the area and preparing
to destroy all remaining chickens.


5. (SBU) The LBVD is trying to figure out how the disease
continues to jump rapidly from farm to farm, but they have
not yet reached any conclusions. In the meantime, Mandalay
authorities have banned the sale of poultry and eggs in three
townships of Mandalay Division.


6. (U) On March 18 the assessment team plans to split up.
Dr. John MacArthur of USAID Bangkok will join Dr. Maung Maung
Lin of WHO Rangoon to look at human aspects of AI in the
Mandalay area. Dr. Wantanee and Embassy FSN agricultural
specialist Khin Swe Swe Aye will continue to follow up on the
outbreak among poultry.
VILLAROSA