AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE - PERSISTENT SPORADIC ANIMAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 000973 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, BELL, BHAT, HICKEY) STATE PASS TO CDC (COX AND MOHEN) USDA PASS TO APHIS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (STERN) BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID (MACARTHUR AND BRADY) ROME FOR FAO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KFLU AMED AMGT CASC EAGR PINR SOCI VM SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE - PERSISTENT SPORADIC ANIMAL OUTBREAKS GIVE RISE TO HUMAN SUSPECT CASE HANOI 00000973 001.2 OF 003 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED REF: HANOI 725 and previous ¶1. (U) Summary: After a month-long period of no highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) outbreaks in animals, limited outbreaks in poultry have been reported in five provinces, including Hanoi. One suspected human case, a 30-year old man from Vinh Phuoc Province, is recovering but still in critical condition at the Bach Mai hospital in Hanoi. Initial test results for H5N1 AI, which are being confirmed, are positive for the virus. GVN has indicated it will send material into the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Network. The first round of the annual poultry vaccination campaign continues. The Partnership for Avian and Human Influenza (PAHI) established its Secretariat office and plans to host its first meeting on May 29. End Summary. Human Case -------------- ¶2. (SBU) A 30-year old man from northern Vietnam's Vinh Phuc province has been hospitalized with severe pneumonia and respiratory failure consistent with AI. The man's relatives reported to the media that he handled chicken carcasses before becoming ill. The man is currently in critical condition at the Bach Mai hospital in Hanoi. Initial test results for H5N1 AI by PCR are positive for the virus. An investigation and confirmatory testing is underway and required before labeling it as an official case. If confirmed, this will be the first case in humans since November 2005. ¶3. (SBU) At a May 23 meeting between Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) official and Agricultural Counselor on a separate subject, MARD informally revealed that this human suspect case from Me Linh District in Vinh Phuc Province was presented to the National Steering Committee Weekly meeting on Tuesday May 15 by Ministry of Health's (MOH) Administration of Preventive Medicine. The positive laboratory result was presented to the Committee on Tuesday May 22. Animal samples have been taken and results are expected on Thursday May 24. There were no prior official reports of AI animal outbreaks in the area where this case occurred since ¶2004. However, MARD unofficially reports that, upon further investigation, they have uncovered unconfirmed reports of limited chicken die-offs. This area produces far more chickens than ducks and there is no reported history of duck exposure or duck illness. ¶4. (SBU) According to unofficial reports from the WHO and MOH (including an interview with one of the leads on the investigative team),the affected person is a 30-year old farmer and was exposed to chickens May 5 or 6. He reportedly prepared chickens for a wedding party of about 100 persons, some of which were sick when killed and some of which may have been already dead before preparation. Two other women helped with the preparation of the birds but did not help kill the chickens. The women did not become ill. The index case may have been symptomatic as early as May 7, but by May 11 he was symptomatic and progressively worsened with fever, cough, and shortness of breath by May 14. He presented to the local commune level polyclinic on May 15 and was treated overnight. On May 15 he was transferred to Hanoi because his HANOI 00000973 002.2 OF 003 condition worsened. On May 18 he was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with decreased responsiveness, in respiratory failure, was intubated and mechanically ventilated. Initial testing was by PCR at MOH's National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) and completed within 6 hours of admission to the ICU. The positive result was available the next morning. The patient was started on oseltamivir (Tamiflu). ¶5. (SBU) On May 21, the GVN dispatched a joint MOH/MARD investigative team to the originating province. Molecular DNA sequencing was just completed and confirms the presence of H5N1 virus. Information from the dispatched team preliminarily report that there are no associated cases among close human contacts, although a media report pointed to a young nephew or niece of the index case who accompanied him to the clinic was being investigated for a respiratory illness but tested negative for the presence of H5N1 AI virus. About 90 close contacts have been started on oseltamivir (Tamiflu) for prevention; no wedding guests are being treated. The patient's condition is slightly improved today. Animal Outbreaks -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Vietnam met the definition for an AI outbreak free period based on a 21-day stretch, with no reported outbreaks from March 30 to May 5, 2007. The MARD reported a limited outbreak in northern Vietnam's Nghe An Province on May 6 of an outbreak that was determined to have begun on May 1. This was followed by a series of confirmed outbreaks (ten total) in Nghe An, Quang Ninh, Son La and Nam Dinh Provinces in the north and Can Tho and Dong Thap Provinces in the south, all of which involved unvaccinated and recently hatched ducklings (including Muscovy ducks). Although one of the outbreaks involved three household farms where 1,298 out of 3,800 ducks died, most die-offs involved one isolated household farm and less than several hundred ducks. All of the outbreaks were quickly brought under control. Response measures included culling, vaccinating surrounding flocks, disinfecting poultry pens, restricting of the movement of poultry beyond outbreak areas and animal quarantine. ¶7. (U) Local media continue to report details of most outbreaks, providing information on the size of flocks, the location, interventions, and in one case, the name of the farmer. More recently, media reports have more thoroughly covered the supplier aspect of the duck industry, including the private sector, quoting agricultural officials saying that some localities in the northern and central regions have not yet fully complied with the MARD's strict regulations on egg hatching and waterfowl breeding. ¶8. (SBU) MARD's Department of Animal Health (DAH) Deputy Director and Chief Veterinary Epidemiologist Hoang Van Nam told Agricultural Counselor that the National AI Steering Committee met on May 22 to discuss the recently occurring outbreaks. Nam blamed the recent outbreaks on the poor management of provincial vaccination programs, pledging to send more senior officials to address the program's problems directly. A Hanoi-based FAO expert acknowledged that "compliance is a huge issue." He added that the GVN's veterinary field staff are "fed up" with the massive workload and that farmers HANOI 00000973 003.2 OF 003 are less willing to cooperate, despite occasional and sporadic outbreaks. Our source also speculated that the lack of human cases gave health authorities a false sense of security. Vaccinations -------------- ¶9. (U) Sixty of Vietnam's 64 provinces are conducting the first round of vaccinations for 2007. The first round consists of two shots, separated in time. As of May 22, MARD reports that 116.6 million poultry have been vaccinated including 73.3 million chickens, 40.1 million ducks and 3.2 million Muscovy ducks. Currently, 34 provinces have completed first round shots. Nine provinces are preparing for second round shots. FAO-Vietnam estimates the first round of vaccination will cost about USD 6 million for the vaccine. Three provinces have fully completed the entire two-shot vaccination round. In addition, large livestock companies administered more than 5.6 million doses of TROVAC Aih5, an AI poultry pox vector vaccine. Partnership for Avian and Human Influenza -------------- ¶10. (U) The Partnership for Avian and Human Influenza (a body formed last year composed of GVN and donor organizations) has established a Secretariat Office within the International Cooperation Department SIPDIS of MARD. Dr. David Payne is the resident international advisor (email: david.pahi.htqt@mard.gov.vn) with a newly recruited Secretariat Manager, Ms. Dao Thu Trang (email: SIPDIS trang.pahi.htqt@mard.gov.vn). A plenary meeting will be held on May ¶29. The draft agenda includes a: a) briefing on national situation and response; b) update on management and coordination activities of PAHI; c) update on ODA-funded AHI activities; and d) opportunity for additional members to sign the PAHI's Partnership Framework, originally chartered on November 1, 2006. ¶11. (SBU) Comment: Although there has been a recent increase in the frequency of animal outbreaks, the previously reported downward trend in the number and scope of poultry outbreaks since 2004 still holds true. The fact that recent outbreaks are restricted mostly to unvaccinated duck hatchlings is reassuring. However, the threat of complacency continues to be a challenge for the GVN and international partners to maintain momentum. With regards to the reported human case, initial contacts within the MOH, WHO and MARD reveal that the GVN's system is responding in a systematic and adequate manner. The event calls attention to the need to build capacity on both the animal and human side. MARINE