CROATIAN STORKS TURN UP DEAD IN SOMALIA

UNCLAS ZAGREB 001465

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT PLEASE PASS TO DS/DSS, DS/IP, M/MED/JCTRIPLETT
FAS/CMP/DLP WETZEL AND MAGGINNIS
FAS/ITP/EAMED POMEROY AND FLEMING
CA/OCS/ACS KIM CHRISTMAN
USAID FOR E&E/ECA/B/ANNE CONVERY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO SENV ECON EAGR PREL CASC KFLU HR
SUBJECT: CROATIAN STORKS TURN UP DEAD IN SOMALIA

REF: ZAGREB 1241 AND PREVIOUS


1. SUMMARY. Some 50 Croatian-tagged white storks were found dead in
Somalia in November, causing a brief panic over the possibility they
brought avian influenza (AI) to the village of Elbaraf. The director
of the Poultry Center in Zagreb said it is unlikely the birds died
of avian influenza, after considering the facts related to their
death and speaking with authorities. The director said the storks
had been tagged and tested at their nesting grounds in Croatia and,
at that time, all had tested negative for the H5N1 virus. END
SUMMARY.


2. Dr. Vladimir Savic, director of the Poultry Center at the
Croatian Veterinary Institute, contacted Econoff after learning that
51 birds bearing Croatian tags were found dead in Elbaraf, Somalia,
in mid-November. Savic, who had already assured Croatian journalists
there was no evidence of H5N1 virus present in the birds, said he
also was in contact with authorities at the FAO to review the few
facts available about the birds.


3. Savic confirmed the birds were white storks, indigenous to
Croatia, and had been hatched in the village of Gusce about 64 km
southeast of Zagreb. They were tagged there on June 23, 2006. He
said there were about 10 stork pairs in the village plus some 90
pairs in neighboring villages. All of the young birds were tagged
and sampled for AI testing in the Poultry Center lab. Savic said at
that time, all results were negative.


4. Storks from Croatia normally migrate to South Africa, Savic said.
Their route crosses Egypt and the Sudan, which is why he found the
location of the dead storks puzzling. By the time the storks were
seen in Somalia (November 15) they already should have arrived at
their destination in South Africa. However, he explained that if the
birds find an abundance of food (such as a locust swarm) along the
route, they might remain there up to two months. Savic said he would
count the storks returning from Africa to Croatia in the spring.


5. Residents of Elbaraf considered the storks an exotic bird and
notified veterinarians, Savic said. They reported 52 exotic birds
were observed drinking water in Elbaraf November 15. On November 16
the birds were unable to fly and had difficulty walking, locals
reported, and 51 were found dead between November 16 and 20. The
last bird, although missing, was believed to have died in the
village as well. Apparently, by the time the veterinarians reached
the village, the bird carcasses had been piled up and were already
too decomposed to allow for testing. They were immediately burned.
However, tags taken from the birds connected them to the
Ornithological Institute in Zagreb.


6. Savic told Econoffs he concludes the storks did not die of avian
influenza. Based on the fact that they died simultaneously, it was
more likely their death was related to poisoning or bacteria picked
up along the way.


7. There have been no new cases of avian influenza in Croatia since
April.
BRADTKE