INDONESIA - DECEMBER 28 AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) UPDATE

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000033 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/IET, MED/DASHO/EMR AND MED DEPT FOR G/AIAG AND OES DEPT PASS TO USDA/FAS/DLP/HWETZEL AND FAS/ICD/LAIDIG DEPT ALSO PASS TO USDA/FAS/FAA/DYOUNG AND USDA/APHIS/ANNELLI DEPT ALSO PASS TO USAID/ANE/CLEMENTS AND GH/CARROLL DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/WSTEIGER/ABHAT/MSTLOUIS AND HHS/NIH PARIS FOR FAS/AG MINISTER COUNSELOR BANGKOK FOR APHIS/CARDENAS, RMO, CDC, USAID/RDM/A CANBERRA FOR APHIS/EDWARDS ROME FOR FAO NSC FOR JMELINE 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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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. -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- -------------- ¶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