OFFICIALS IN NE INDIA INVESTIGATING POULTRY DEATHS

UNCLAS KOLKATA 000217 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT PLS PASS TO AIAG - HSUMMERS, TNEWTON, NSTUDZINSKI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KFLU TBIO PREL PGOV SENV IN BM SUBJECT: OFFICIALS IN NE INDIA INVESTIGATING POULTRY DEATHS ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Between July 7 and 10, about 100 chickens died in a farm near Manipur's capital city of Imphal. The state veterinary department deployed rapid response teams to collect samples and sent these to the High Security Disease Detection Laboratory (HSDL) in Bhopal. The Health Department has quarantined the family living on the farm. Manipur's Veterinary Director told post that test he believed the results are "likely to be negative." However, the February 2007 reports of pathogenic H5N1 in neighboring Burma have contributed to speculation in the media that the situation may be more serious than what the government is portraying. END SUMMARY ¶2. (U) The death of more than a hundred chickens between July 7 and 10 at a private poultry farm located at Chingmeirong in Manipur has raised concerns about the possibility of Avian Influenza, prompting Manipur's bird flu rapid response teams to go on the alert. The state's Veterinary Department collected nearly 200 sera samples and sent these to Bhopal's HSDL for testing on July 18. The results, expected by July 21, will show whether the dead birds were suffering from a pathogenic variant of the H5N1 virus. ¶3. (U) Manipur's veterinary and health departments, not waiting for the results, have already taken preliminary precautions Rapid response teams have collected blood and sera samples from a variety of domestic birds as well as other livestock within a 15 km radius of the Chingmeirong farm. So far there has been no report of similar deaths from nearby areas. The family running the poultry farm has been placed under medical observation as of July 16. All of these measures have led to speculation in the media about the degree of seriousness of the recent poultry deaths. ¶4. (SBU) Manipur's Director of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry department told post that the media was exaggerating the situation and that this was creating confusion among the people. He said there was, "a good possibility that samples sent to Bhopal will return negative results for pathogenic H5N1." The results, he said, were expected on Saturday and that any comment on the situation before results come out will lead to more confusion. He confirmed the poultry mortality figures and also said that his department was "prepared and equipped." ¶5. (U) Officials from Indian Ministry of Agriculture and from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, New Delhi, arrived in Imphal on July 15. News outlets reported that 2,000 personnel protection equipment kits, including dungarees with hoods, attached shoes, masks and eye protection goggles have reached Imphal to facilitate surveillance operations. The state Veterinary Department declined to comment on the possible significance of the large amount of protective gear. ¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: Although state authorities are downplaying these poultry deaths until test results are received, the February, 2007 incidents of pathogenic H5N1 outbreak in neighboring Burma raises AI concerns in Manipur. Moreover, the state Veterinary Department's deployment of rapid response teams and special precautionary measures has fuelled speculation about the seriousness of the situation. The Veterinary Department's willingness to brief the media on a regular basis is encouraging. Post will continue to monitor the situation and report as new information becomes available. End Comment. JARDINE