AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE - FIRST POULTRY OUTBREAK IN NORTH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000373 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AIAG, EAP/MLS, EAP/EP, INR, OES/IHA, MED STATE PASS TO USAID FOR ANE AND GH STATE PASS TO HHS/OGHA (WSTIEGER, DBELL AND ABHAT) STATE PASS TO CDC (NCOX AND AMOHEN) USDA PASS TO APHIS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (LSTERN) BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID (JMACARTHUR AND MBRADY) ROME FOR FAO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KFLU AMED AMGT CASC EAGR PINR SOCI VM SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE - FIRST POULTRY OUTBREAK IN NORTH REF: HANOI 303 AND PREVIOUS HANOI 00000373 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) Summary: The Government of Vietnam (GVN) announced the containment of an H5N1 outbreak in poultry in northern Hai Duong Province that occurred on February 16, the first day of the Tet Lunar New Year. A smaller poultry die-off that occurred in early February in northern Ninh Binh Province was reportedly caused by Newcastle's Disease. On February 27, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Development Bui Ba Bong signed a decision that, effective March 1, lifts the ban on the raising of waterfowl and duck hatchlings. CDC hosted a roundtable discussion on February 6 highlighting the CDC's Automated Disaster and Emergency Planning Tool (ADEPT). End Summary. ¶2. (U) There have been no confirmed H5N1 AI human cases in Vietnam this year and none reported in 2006. First H5N1 Poultry Outbreak in Northern Vietnam -------------- -- ¶3. (U) AP News reported on February 26 that the GVN confirmed that an outbreak of H5N1 in poultry occurred in northern Vietnam's Hai Duong Province on February 16, the first day of the Tet Lunar New Year. The outbreak, which has since been successfully contained, is the first reported poultry outbreak in northern Vietnam since late ¶2005. According to Hai Duong Department of Animal Health Director Dong Van Chuc, laboratory tests confirmed the presence of H5N1 in several of the approximately 70 unvaccinated chicks that died on one farm in the province's Thanh Mien District. Local authorities have culled the farm's remaining 10,000 hatchlings and no other outbreaks have been reported in the province. Chuc stated that the case is still under investigation. According to Mr. Chuc, the local farmer purchased the chicks from the province's neighboring Gia Loc District, which has not reported any outbreaks. The last outbreak in Thanh Mien District was reported in 2004. Newcastle Affects Poultry in Separate Northern Province -------------- -------------- ¶4. (U) On February 2, local media reported the deaths of 100 chickens in the Nho Quan District of northern Vietnam's Ninh Binh Province. According to District People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Quang Van, dead poultry specimens were collected from 40 households in the district. Media reports later indicated that according to local animal health authorities and the FAO, the cause of death was Newcastle's Disease and not H5N1 virus. MARD Lifts Ban on Raising Waterfowl -------------- ¶5. (U) On February 27, MARD Vice Minister Bui Ba Bong signed a decision that, effective on March 1, lifts the ban on the raising of waterfowl and duck hatchlings and provides a number of biosafety guidelines. According to a source at MARD's Department of Animal Health, there are several conditions that must be satisfied for farmers to be allowed to raise waterfowl. These measures include mandatory registration with local authorities, vaccination of all poultry, and timely notification of the transport of live or slaughtered poultry. CDC Hosts Roundtable on Emergency Planning Tool -------------- -- ¶6. (U) On February 6, HHS/CDC hosted a roundtable discussion with HANOI 00000373 002.2 OF 002 Vietnamese public health and natural disaster agencies, as well as WHO, FAO and the International Red Cross Federation, to discuss the CDC's Automated Disaster and Emergency Planning Tool (ADEPT). ADEPT is an innovative, software-based process for writing, exercising and evaluating public health and medical emergency operation and disaster plans. Emergency operation plans created by ADEPT give the field user an instrument that is integrated into a multi-organizational response, defines duties and job descriptions for key response staff and provides a platform for prioritized rapid decision making in the initial phase of an emergency operation. The DCM opened the roundtable discussion by noting the high priority the USG places on adequate preparedness to respond to pandemic influenza, both at home and overseas; indicating how Vietnam has demonstrated to the global community strong leadership to address avian influenza; and stressing the need for continued development of preparedness and response plans, particularly in Vietnam. MARINE