AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE - MORE DEAD DUCKS IN NEW ANIMAL

UNCLAS HANOI 001835 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/EP, INR, OES/STC, OES/IHA, MED STATE PASS TO USAID FOR ANE AND GH STATE PASS TO HHS/OGHA (STIEGER/VALDEZ/DMILLER/HICKEY) CDC FOR OGHA (BLOUT/MCCALL) AND DIV-FLU (COX/MOHEN) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (STERN) HHS PASS TO FIC/NIH (GLASS) USDA PASS TO APHIS, FAS (OSTA AND OCRA),FSIS BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC (MALISON),USAID (MACARTHUR/BRADY) BANGKOK FOR APHIS (NCARDENAS),REO(JWALLER) BEIJING FOR HHS HEALTH ATTACHE (ROSS) PHNOM PENH FOR CDC INFLUENZA COORDINATOR(BRADY) ROME FOR FAO VIENTIANE FOR CDC INFLUENZA COORDINATOR (CORWIN) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO AMED AMGT CASC EAGR PINR KFLU VM SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE - MORE DEAD DUCKS IN NEW ANIMAL OUTBREAK IN CENTRAL VIETNAM REF: A. HANOI 1793 B. HANOI 1771 C. HANOI 373 1.(U) Summary. Local and international media outlets reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza A (AI) among ducks in a central Vietnamese province. Initial reports on a Government of Vietnam (GVN) website state that laboratory testing confirmed the link to H5N1. Quang Tri recently experienced seasonal flooding enhanced by the effects of Typhoon Lekima (Ref B). Prior to this flooding, Quang Tri had not reported any infections during the most recent wave of H5N1 outbreaks. This incident appears unrelated to the recent outbreak among ducks in Tra Vinh province in the Mekong Delta (ref A). GVN officials just formally confirmed that the earlier Tra Vinh deaths were caused by H5N1. End Summary. ¶2. (U) An October 24 report on a GVN Department of Animal Health website (http://www.cucthuy.gov.vn) stated that authorities recently discovered 290 dead and an additional 20 ill ducklings among a flock of 600 two-month-old birds at one farm in Nhi Ha village, Gio Thanh commune, Gio Linh district, Quang Tri Province in central Vietnam. Gio Lanh is located approximately 100 kilometers north of Danang and 50 kilometers north of Hue. The UN Food and Agricultural Organization reported that none of the ducks (all of which were culled following the outbreak) had been vaccinated. Gio Lanh district lies along the coast in an area that recently experienced heavy seasonal flooding that resulted in four human deaths. Though the area does not have intense poultry breeding, locally extensive rice cultivation supports free-ranging duck populations. ¶3. (U) According to the Department of Animal Health report, tests by a national animal laboratory confirmed that the H5N1 strain caused the outbreak. National officials are cooperating with provincial authorities, which initially responded to the outbreak. Quang Tri previously had not reported animal outbreaks during the recent waves of H5N1 animal infections, which began in December 2006 (ref C). There are no reports of suspected human AI infections. 4.(SBU) Though this incident appears unrelated to the recent outbreak among ducks in Tra Vinh province in the Mekong Delta, both occurred among unvaccinated flocks in areas suffering from intense rains and flooding. Unlike earlier waves of animal infections, these two incidents do not seem to be part of a large-scale or nation-wide event. GVN officials, who just confirmed the link to H5N1 in the Tra Vinh duck fatalities, warned that the onset of cold weather and increased seasonal duck rearing increases the risk of future poultry outbreaks. MICHALAK