INDONESIA - DECEMBER 28 AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) UPDATE

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000033

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO AMED EAGR KFLU PGOV ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIA - DECEMBER 28 AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) UPDATE

REF: A) Jakarta 13527 B) Jakarta 13370


1. (SBU) Summary. Indonesia has reported no new human AI cases since
November 12, leading to confident statements by Government of
Indonesia (GOI) officials of success in containing AI in humans.
Dr. Rodney Hoff of the Singapore-based Regional Emerging Diseases
Intervention Center (REDI) paid his first visit to Indonesia
December 18-20. The U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) arranged to ship poultry AI vaccination samples to the U.S.
in order to analyze and assess the effectiveness of the vaccine. On
December 15, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced plans to build a
BSL-3 research laboratory to focus on AI vaccination research. The
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is making
strides to announce figures for the number of animal AI outbreaks in
the informal and backyard poultry sectors. The Ministry of
Agriculture has begun to organize monthly AI meetings as part of its
efforts to deal with the disease. End Summary.

GOI Declares Success Containing AI
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2. (SBU) After a six-week period with no new confirmed human AI
cases, the GOI has begun to declare success in containing AI.
Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari told the English-language
daily The Jakarta Post on December 22 that there have been no new
human cases recently and that AI was now contained in both humans
and animals. NAMRU-2 continues to receive specimens from suspected
human AI infections, but all recent specimens have tested negative
for AI. We continue to monitor the situation on human cases and are
trying to determine why there have been no confirmed human AI cases
since November 12.

Visit by REDI Center's Dr. Rod Hoff
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3. (U) Dr. Rod Hoff from the Regional Emerging Diseases Intervention
Center (REDI) in Singapore visited Indonesia December 18-20 to
attend an AI symposium. He also meet with officials from the
National AI Committee (KOMNAS). Hoff told the Mission's AI Working
Group that he plans to return to Indonesia the week of January 13
for further talks with Indonesian officials involved with AI.

Vaccines Sent to the U.S.
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4. (U) Max Coates (APHIS) visited Jakarta the week of December 22.
He briefed the AIWG and reported that as part of a concerted effort
to assess the use of vaccination arrangements, he has collected
samples for shipment to the South Eastern Poultry Research
Laboratories. Scientists will then carry out tests on the vaccines
to evaluate their effectiveness. The samples for the study are due
for shipment after the holidays to avoid delays or damage to the
materials. Researchers are making laboratory preparations to begin
research promptly on receipt of the vaccines. Coates is due to
return the third week of January to Jakarta as the APHIS/USDA
representative.

Laboratory for Avian Influenza Vaccine
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5. (U) The Ministry of Health has announced plans to build a BSL3
research laboratory, part of its major objective is to develop an AI
vaccine. In an interview with current affairs weekly magazine
'Tempo' on December 15, Dr Erna Tresnaningsih, Director of Center
for Research and Development for Bio-medicine and Pharmaceuticals
said that construction of the laboratory is expected in 2007 and
that the House of Representatives has approved a Rp 27 billion (US$
3 million) budget for the project. Our contact, Ondri Dwi Sampurno,
Head of Program and Cooperation, National Institute of Health
Research and Development (Balitbangkes) confirmed that this is the
same proposed laboratory headed by Dr. Triano via Jason Rao's
program.

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Statistics for Animal Outbreaks
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6. (U) The FAO continues to gather data on animal outbreaks in the
informal and backyard poultry production. The organization is now
successfully sending animal AI samples to the international
reference laboratory in Geelong, Australia for detailed analysis.
However, there is still underreporting of AI outbreaks in districts
with no Participatory Disease Surveillance (PDS). Those with active
PDS report approximately two animal outbreaks per district per week.
It is likely that AI is just as endemic areas without PDS. Animal
surveillance and response teams are now active in 75 districts and
PDS is expected to cover 159 districts by May 2007.

Ministry Of Agriculture Starts Monthly Meetings on AI
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7. (U) Dr Anton Apriyanto, the Minister of Agriculture (MOA),has
begun chairing monthly AI meetings. He is including key FAO staff
in the meetings and has appointed the FAO AI Team leader, James
McGrane, as his senior advisor for AI.

HEFFERN