Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BEIJING119
2008-01-11 09:09:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Beijing
Cable title:  

BEIJING AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: REPORTED OUTBREAK IN

Tags:  TBIO KFLU EAGR CH 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8185
RR RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
DE RUEHBJ #0119 0110909
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 110909Z JAN 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4390
INFO RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 8915
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 3756
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 9939
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 8798
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 8570
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 5765
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHDC 0707
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS BEIJING 000119 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

BANGKOK FOR REO AND CDC
HHS FOR OGHA - STEIGER, HICKEY
CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID AND COGH

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU EAGR CH
SUBJECT: BEIJING AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: REPORTED OUTBREAK IN
POUTRY IN XINJIANG AUTONOMOUS REGION (FAR NORTHWEST) OF CHINA.

REF A) BEIJING 7567 (2007)

B) GUANGZHOU 1279 (2007)

UNCLAS BEIJING 000119

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

BANGKOK FOR REO AND CDC
HHS FOR OGHA - STEIGER, HICKEY
CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID AND COGH

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU EAGR CH
SUBJECT: BEIJING AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: REPORTED OUTBREAK IN
POUTRY IN XINJIANG AUTONOMOUS REGION (FAR NORTHWEST) OF CHINA.

REF A) BEIJING 7567 (2007)

B) GUANGZHOU 1279 (2007)


1. (U) SUMMARY: Chinese authorities confirmed in the domestic and
international media that there had been an outbreak of H5N1 avian
influenza amongst poultry in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region
beginning December 29, 2007. Reports indicated a die-off of about
5,000 birds and control measures culling a further 30,000 birds
leading to their pronouncement that the outbreak has been put under
control. No human cases have been identified in association with
this report, nor elsewhere in China. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) Xinhua and Reuters media outlets reported this week that the
Chinese authorities confirmed an avian influenza (AI) outbreak in
poultry in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, (northwestern part of
China) around the city of Turpan. Apparently beginning around
December 29, 2007, 4,850 birds had died by the time of the first
media report on January 4, 2008. Provincial authorities culled an
additional 29,833 birds to try and prevent further spread of the
virus. Unidentified provincial agricultural officials from Xinjiang
were quoted in the Reuters reports as suggesting/blaming this recent
poultry outbreak on the warmer winter which was bringing more
migratory birds to the areas surrounding Turpan, quote "increasing
the chances of bird flu outbreaks," end quote because, rather than
flying further south, the migratory birds stayed near the city due
to the warmer weather experienced so far this winter in Xinjiang.


3. (U) The official notification from the Ministry of Agriculture
(MOA) received by the Embassy on January 4, 2008, indicated that
this outbreak was confirmed by the National AI Reference Laboratory
(in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province) through virus isolation, RT-PCR
and IVPI methods as influenza type A H5N1. Furthermore, this
notification reported that the local government took additional
measures including: establishing quarantine of the outbreak area,
carrying out disinfection measures, culling of poultry and
vaccination of all susceptive poultry within a 5 Km radius area of
the original dying flocks. The Vice Minister of Agriculture Gao
Hongbin responding to questions from the media at a State Council
press conference on January 8, 2008 stating, quote "The Xinjiang
outbreak has been well controlled; the Ministry of Agriculture is
closely monitoring animal diseases including AI. Once an outbreak is
found, the Ministry of Agriculture will take strict measures to
control and prevent spreading of the epidemic" end quote. Local
farmers were also put under observation by local health officials to
assure they didn't develop symptoms or illness. To date no such
reports have been shared.


4. (U) The last reported outbreak in poultry reported was in
Guangdong Province in September 2007, when some 10,000 ducks died
and about 30,000 others were culled in the control response (Ref B).
This current poultry report from Xinjiang Province also comes about
a month after China reported a family-related cluster (father and
son) of H5N1 avian flu in humans (Ref A). The Chinese reported this
week that the father completely recovered from his illness in late
December and was released from the hospital.


5. (U) Comment: As might be expected in the "winter season,"
increases in reported animal and human cases of H5N1 avian influenza
(AI) pick up in China, but over the past year there have not been
reports of animal and human AI cases occurring in the same locations
around the same time, nor have there been reports of sustained
human-to-human transmission in China. The family cluster in Nov-Dec
of 2007 (Ref A) was China's first probable human-to-human
transmission and transmission was likely the result of the intensive
care the father provided to his ill and dying son.

RANDT