Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ZAGREB740
2006-06-14 13:00:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Zagreb
Cable title:  

CROATIA AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: JUNE 14

Tags:  TBIO SENV ECON EAGR PREL CASC KFLU HR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0025
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVB #0740 1651300
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141300Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6304
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RHEFAFM/DIR AFMIC FORT DETRICK MD
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA WASHDC
UNCLAS ZAGREB 000740 

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 DAVID SCHENSTED
USAID FOR E&E/ECA/B/ANNE CONVERY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO SENV ECON EAGR PREL CASC KFLU HR
SUBJECT: CROATIA AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: JUNE 14

REF: ZAGREB 459 AND PREVIOUS


UNCLAS ZAGREB 000740

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 DAVID SCHENSTED
USAID FOR E&E/ECA/B/ANNE CONVERY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO SENV ECON EAGR PREL CASC KFLU HR
SUBJECT: CROATIA AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: JUNE 14

REF: ZAGREB 459 AND PREVIOUS



1. (SUMMARY) WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN NO NEW REPORTS OF
AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) IN CROATIA, SCIENTISTS AT THE
CROATIAN VETERINARY INSTITUTE'S POULTRY CENTER ARE
USING A NEWLY PURCHASED REAL-TIME PCR MACHINE FOR
ROUTINE TESTING OF WILD BIRDS. THE CENTER DIRECTOR
SAID NOW CROATIA IS BETTER PREPARED IN CASE OF
ANOTHER AI OUTBREAK. THE MACHINE WILL ENABLE
SCIENTISTS TO TEST FOR AI MORE EFFICIENTLY AND
QUICKLY, WITH LESS DANGER OF EXPOSURE TO THE VIRUS
BY THE CENTER STAFF. IT WILL ALSO ALLOW THE CENTER
TO TAKE A MORE PROACTIVE APPROACH IN TESTING FOR THE
VIRUS. (END SUMMARY)


2. DR. VLADIMIR SAVIC, DIRECTOR OF THE POULTRY
CENTER OF THE CROATIAN VETERINARY INSTITUTE, SHOWED
ECONOFFS THE NEW REAL-TIME POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION
(PCR) MACHINE AT THE CENTER. ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE
BEEN NO NEW REPORTED CASES OF AI IN CROATIA SINCE
LATE MARCH, SAVIC HAS BEEN RUNNING SAMPLES ON THE
NEW MACHINE SINCE IT WAS SET UP JUNE 7 TO CALIBRATE
THE EQUIPMENT.


3. SAVIC SAID CURRENTLY THE CENTER IS CONDUCTING
PASSIVE MONITORING, TESTING DEAD BIRDS AS THEY ARE
REPORTED. ABOUT 50 DEAD BIRDS ARE REPORTED DAILY
WITH A VARIETY OF CAUSES OF MORTALITY. IN THE FALL,
SCIENTISTS PLAN TO CONDUCT ACTIVE MONITORING AT
CRITICAL LOCATIONS SUCH AS LAKES, FISHPONDS AND
OTHER HABITATS OF BIRDS LIKELY TO CARRY THE VIRUS.
SAVIC SAID THEY PLAN TO CATCH 2,300 WILD BIRDS AND
RELEASE THEM AFTER TESTING. HE CRITICIZED A PRESS
REPORT THAT INACCURATELY SAID THE CENTER PLANNED TO
KILL 2,300 BIRDS.


4. After the recent outbreak in Romania, Savic
traveled there to meet Romanian scientists battling
AI in poultry. He said he doesn't expect any impact
in Croatia because the virus is not being found in
wild birds, only poultry, which is not crossing the
border. Savic believes that human mishandling of
infected poultry was more likely the cause of the
Romanian outbreak than wild birds.


5. SAVIC NOTED THAT HE WAS ALSO ASKED TO GIVE A
BRIEFING ON CROATIA'S HANDLING OF THE AVIAN
INFLUENZA INCIDENTS TO CROATIAN MILITARY OFFICIALS
WHO WILL PARTICIPATE IN MILITARY EXERCISES IN
UKRAINE IN SEPTEMBER.

FRANK