AZERBAIJAN: AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE

UNCLAS BAKU 000171 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON KFLU EAGR USDA PGOV KTIA TBIO CASC AJ SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE REF: BAKU 153 ¶1. (U) On February 3, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Health (MOH) announced that tests of suspected human avian influenza samples sent from Azerbaijan January 31 (reftel) and conducted at a WHO-approved laboratory in England were negative. Azerbaijan's World Health Organization (WHO) representative Dr. Elkhan Gasimov confirmed February 5 that six of nine throat and nasal swab samples had been tested and the results were negative for avian influenza. He added that the samples are currently undergoing additional testing at the WHO-approved Mill Hill international laboratory to determine the cause of the deadly illness. ¶2. (U) Separately, Gasimov confirmed that there is a second suspected case of human avian influenza in Azerbaijan. According to Gasimov, a 48-year old woman from Neftchala (also in southeastern Azerbaijan) was admitted to the Baku Pulmonary Hospital February 2 with a fast-developing case of bilateral pneumonia; the woman died today, February 6. The MOH is treating it as a possible case of avian influenza because of circumstantial evidence; the woman had contact with dead birds in mid-January. The GOAJ has performed two PCR tests at two separate laboratories in Baku, and the results are negative for avian influenza. Again, the MOH has requested WHO assistance to send the samples to the WHO-approved international reference laboratory in Mill Hill, England for testing. Gasimov says the samples are scheduled to depart Baku on Wednesday, February 7. DERSE