Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06THEHAGUE1677
2006-08-01 15:03:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy The Hague
Cable title:  

AVIAN INFLUENZA: DUTCH FIND LOW PATHOGENIC AI

Tags:  BTIO EAGR KFLU NL 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO7219
RR RUEHAST
DE RUEHTC #1677 2131503
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 011503Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6437
INFO RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0354
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1345
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4134
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAT/AMCONSUL AMSTERDAM 1164
UNCLAS THE HAGUE 001677 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BTIO EAGR KFLU NL
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: DUTCH FIND LOW PATHOGENIC AI


UNCLAS THE HAGUE 001677

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BTIO EAGR KFLU NL
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: DUTCH FIND LOW PATHOGENIC AI



1. (U) The Ministry of Agriculture announced on August 1
that low pathogenic avian influenza (AI) was discovered
during routine sampling of a chicken farm in Voorthuizen.
Voorthuizen, located in the center of the Netherlands, is
situated in the middle of the main egg producing area of the
country. Low pathogenic AI is a problem for poultry
producers, but is not as destructive to flocks as other
strains of AI, and is not considered to pose any threat to
humans. Low pathogenic strains can, however, mutate into
high pathogenic strains, which can be lethal for humans.
The virus found on the farm is an H7 subtype of AI, and not
the H5N1 strain that has been found in a number of EU Member
States.


2. (U) While the discovered AI strain is not deemed to pose
a major risk at present, the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture,
Nature and Food Quality has placed the affected farm under
quarantine and will cull all the chickens on the farm. It
has also taken samples from five other poultry farms
situated within a one kilometer radius of the infected farm
to determine if the AI virus spread. The Dutch have also
prohibited transport of live birds, eggs (for breeding or
consumption),farm waste and manure within, into or out of
the region within a three kilometer radius of the affected
farm.


3. (U) According the Animal Disease Notification System of
the European Commission
(http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/animal/diseas es/adns/index_e
n.htm),six cases of low pathogenic avian influenza in
poultry have been reported in the EU between January and
July 2006. During the same period, 660 cases of high
pathogenic avian influenza were reported in the EU, of which
183 cases were in domestic poultry and 477 cases were in
wild birds.

Blakeman