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