Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06VIENTIANE364
2006-04-21 06:29:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Vientiane
Cable title:
AVIAN INFLUENZA: LAO WEEKLY REPORT APRIL 21
how-toVZCZCXRO0202 RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH DE RUEHVN #0364 1110629 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 210629Z APR 06 FM AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9829 INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1946 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 0272 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0857 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0065 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1045 RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0111 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 0037 RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 0344 RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS VIENTIANE 000364
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR G, EAP/MLA WEYER, INR, CA/OCS/ACS/EAP, AND MED
BANGKOK FOR USAID MACARTHUR, RMO, CDC, AND REO JWALLER
PASS TO USTR, USAID DCARROLL, AND HHS EELVANDER
ROME FOR FAO
APHIS FOR PERKINS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO ECON SOCI PREL LA
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: LAO WEEKLY REPORT APRIL 21
REF: VIENTIANE 332 AND PREVIOUS
UNCLAS VIENTIANE 000364
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR G, EAP/MLA WEYER, INR, CA/OCS/ACS/EAP, AND MED
BANGKOK FOR USAID MACARTHUR, RMO, CDC, AND REO JWALLER
PASS TO USTR, USAID DCARROLL, AND HHS EELVANDER
ROME FOR FAO
APHIS FOR PERKINS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO ECON SOCI PREL LA
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: LAO WEEKLY REPORT APRIL 21
REF: VIENTIANE 332 AND PREVIOUS
1. (SBU) AI in Ducks: New information from Dr. Webster
provided in a summary of a manuscript being submitted to
"Nature" indicates that the number of H5N1 infected ducks his
project documented in Laos exceeded 30. These findings
resulted from a joint project between St. Jude Hospital and
that National Center for Animal Health, Lao Ministry of
Agriculture. To date, the GOL has not disseminated the
findings to the general public.
2. (U) Wet Market Workshop: USDA continues to seek a
partner for its Wet Market Wild Bird Workshop. It is not
inclined to use FAO because of the high costs involved.
Other NGO possibilities are being explored but they need to
have the requisite organizational capacity and an existing
MOU with the GOL under which this activity could be
sanctioned.
3. (U) Staffing: APHIS has advised it will be submitting an
NSD 38 proposal for a representative at post.
4. (U) Meeting with AFRIMS (Armed Forces Research Institute
of Medical Sciences): Emboff is in Bangkok meeting with
AFRIMS regarding Thai plans to build a Biosafety Level 3
laboratory in Thailand. Of interest is when this will happen
and whether human viral samples from Laos will be accepted
there for analysis. If the lab will be for regional use, it
will be important to work out procedures and permissions in
advance of possible border closings during a pandemic.
5. (U) Meeting with CDC: Emboff is also met to discuss
in-country lab training for Lao technicians with CDC Bangkok
and the RTG's MoPH. Lao human capacity is very low and
Thailand is an ideal training partner, given the language
similarities. It was agreed that a team from CDC-RTG MoPH
will travel to Vientiane the first week of June to meet with
representatives of the Lao MoPH to discuss this further.
HASLACH
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR G, EAP/MLA WEYER, INR, CA/OCS/ACS/EAP, AND MED
BANGKOK FOR USAID MACARTHUR, RMO, CDC, AND REO JWALLER
PASS TO USTR, USAID DCARROLL, AND HHS EELVANDER
ROME FOR FAO
APHIS FOR PERKINS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO ECON SOCI PREL LA
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: LAO WEEKLY REPORT APRIL 21
REF: VIENTIANE 332 AND PREVIOUS
1. (SBU) AI in Ducks: New information from Dr. Webster
provided in a summary of a manuscript being submitted to
"Nature" indicates that the number of H5N1 infected ducks his
project documented in Laos exceeded 30. These findings
resulted from a joint project between St. Jude Hospital and
that National Center for Animal Health, Lao Ministry of
Agriculture. To date, the GOL has not disseminated the
findings to the general public.
2. (U) Wet Market Workshop: USDA continues to seek a
partner for its Wet Market Wild Bird Workshop. It is not
inclined to use FAO because of the high costs involved.
Other NGO possibilities are being explored but they need to
have the requisite organizational capacity and an existing
MOU with the GOL under which this activity could be
sanctioned.
3. (U) Staffing: APHIS has advised it will be submitting an
NSD 38 proposal for a representative at post.
4. (U) Meeting with AFRIMS (Armed Forces Research Institute
of Medical Sciences): Emboff is in Bangkok meeting with
AFRIMS regarding Thai plans to build a Biosafety Level 3
laboratory in Thailand. Of interest is when this will happen
and whether human viral samples from Laos will be accepted
there for analysis. If the lab will be for regional use, it
will be important to work out procedures and permissions in
advance of possible border closings during a pandemic.
5. (U) Meeting with CDC: Emboff is also met to discuss
in-country lab training for Lao technicians with CDC Bangkok
and the RTG's MoPH. Lao human capacity is very low and
Thailand is an ideal training partner, given the language
similarities. It was agreed that a team from CDC-RTG MoPH
will travel to Vientiane the first week of June to meet with
representatives of the Lao MoPH to discuss this further.
HASLACH