UNCLAS ROME 003213

SIPDIS

USAID FOR TROSTLE, BLANCHET AND CARROLL
HHS FOR WSTEIGER/PBUDASHEWITZ
FAS FOR ITP/MACKE/THOMAS, CMP/DLP/WETZEL, FAS/JDEVER,
ICD/PETTRIE
FAS PASS FSIS AND APHIS
VIENNA PASS APHIS
CAIRO PASS APHIS
BRUSSELS PASS APHIS/FERNANDEZ
GENEVA PASS HEALTH ATTACHE
ROME FOR US MISSION TO FAO

FROM THE U.S. MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES IN ROME

E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: TBIO AMED EAID CASC SENV EAGR KPAO TU AVIAN INFLUENZA
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: FAO PRESS CONFERENCE ON TURKEY AI
ASSESSMENT

REF: ROME 0087


1. SUMMARY: FAO SENIOR VETERINARY OFFICIAL JUAN LUBROTH
GAVE A PRESS BRIEFING ON MONDAY, JANUARY 16, ON HIS MISSION
TO TURKEY TO ASSESS THE AVIAN INFLUENZA SITUATION. THE FAO
ASSESSMENT IS MORE OPTIMISTIC THIS WEEK COMPARED TO LAST
WEEK WHEN FAO WARNED AI COULD BECOME ENDEMIC TO TURKEY.
THE MAIN REASON GIVEN FOR THE MORE OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK IS
THE MOBILIZATION OF PROVINCIAL LEVEL RESOURCES BY THE GOT
AND GOOD COOPERATION BETWEEN THE GOT AND INTERNATIONAL
PARTNERS, INCLUDING FAO, OIE, WHO, AND THE EU. END
SUMMARY.


2. LUBROTH WAS IN TURKEY FROM JANUARY 10 TO JANUARY 14.
HE REPORTED THAT THERE ARE 19 CONFIRMED OUTBREAKS OF HIGH
PATH AI, BUT ONLY ONE HAS BEEN CONCLUSIVELY IDENTIFIED AS
H5N1. THE OTHER 18 ARE H5, BUT OFFICIALS ARE STILL
AWAITING CONFIRMATION THAT THEY ARE THE N1 STRAIN. THE
CONFIRMED HPAI OUTBREAKS ARE LOCATED IN 13 OF TURKEY'S 81
PROVINCES. ACCORDING TO LUBROTH, NUMEROUS OTHER OUTBREAKS
HAVE BEEN REPORTED AND ARE CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED.
HE SAID HE WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF MORE H5N1 OUTBREAKS
ARE CONFIRMED. THERE ARE 4 INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS ON THE
GROUND IN TURKEY NOW (EXCLUDING THE US TEAM) AND 1 EU LAB
EXPERT IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE THIS WEEK.


3. LUBROTH COMMENDED THE GOT FOR DEALING WITH THE AI
OUTBREAK RESPONSIBLY AND MATURELY. HE CITED IN PARTICULAR
THE GOT'S EFFORTS WITH RESPECT TO SHARING INFORMATION,
REPORTING TO INTERNATIONAL AUTHORITIES, WELCOMING
FAO/OIE/EU OFFICIALS AND WORKING CLOSELY WITH WHO AND ECDC.


4. LAST WEEK FAO WARNED THAT THE AI VIRUS COULD BECOME
ENDEMIC IN TURKEY. AT THE PRESS BRIEFING LUBROTH SAID
THERE WAS STILL TIME TO PREVENT IT FROM BECOMING ENDEMIC IF
ADEQUATE RESOURCES CAN BE MOBILIZED TO PREVENT IT FROM
SPREADING. HE SAID IT IS IMPORTANT NOW TO DETERMINE HOW
WIDESPREAD THE INFECTION IS IN TURKEY; ARE WE SEEING THE
TIP OF THE ICEBERG OR THE WHOLE ICEBERG?


5. ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS FOR FAO'S INCREASED OPTIMISM IS
THAT THE GOT IS DEDICATING MORE RESOURCES TO COMBATING AI.
LUBROTH NOTED WITH APPROVAL THAT A MEETING OF THE GOT
NATIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE, WHICH MET ON SATURDAY,
JANUARY 14, PLACED THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNORS IN CHARGE OF
OUTBREAK SITES. THIS ALLOWS THE USE OF PROVINCIAL LEVEL
RESOURCES, INCLUDING THE MILITARY AND PUBLIC WORKS
OFFICIALS, IN COMBATING THE AI OUTBREAK.


6. FAO SAID IT WAS LIKELY AI IS ALREADY PRESENT IN
NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES SUCH AS IRAN, ARMENIA AND GEORGIA AND
ENCOURAGED INCREASED SURVEILLANCE IN THOSE COUNTRIES.
JOINT FAO/WHO MISSIONS ARE BEING ORGANIZED TO THE CAUCUSES
REGION AS EARLY AS THIS WEEK. FAO SAID SYRIA AND COUNTRIES
ALONG THE DANUBE BORDER ARE ALSO AT RISK. FAO ALSO CALLED
FOR INCREASED SURVEILLANCE FOR IMPORTS OF CONTRABAND AT
EUROPEAN AIRPORTS.

Hall