VIETNAM AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: SCATTERED POULTRY OUTBREAKS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 000304 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/EP, INR, OES/STC, OES/IHA, MED STATE PASS TO USAID FOR ANE AND GH DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (STERN) HHS/OSSI/DSI PASS TO OGHA (WSTIEGER/LVALDEZ/CHICKEY/DMILLER) AND FIC/NIH (RGLASS) AND DIV-FLU (COX/MOHEN) CDC FOR COGH (SBLOUNT) AND CCID (SREDD) USDA PASS TO APHIS, FAS (OSTA AND OCRA),FSIS BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC (MALISON),USAID (MACARTHUR/MBRADY) BANGKOK FOR APHIS (NCARDENAS),REO(JWALLER) BEIJING FOR HHS HEALTH ATTACHE (BROSS) PHNOM PENH FOR CDC INFLUENZA COORDINATOR(BBRADY) ROME FOR FAO VIENTIANE FOR CDC INFLUENZA COORDINATOR (ACORWIN) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO AMED AMGT CASC EAGR PINR KFLU VM SUBJECT: VIETNAM AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: SCATTERED POULTRY OUTBREAKS THROUGHOUT COUNTRY REF: A. HANOI 197 B. HANOI 177 HANOI 00000304 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. (U) Summary: Provinces in each region of the country have reported poultry outbreaks in the past few weeks. Though localized and easily controlled, the number of outbreaks continue to rise and are occuring at a rate higher than during the same period last year. A 23-year old woman died on February 25, the ninth consecutive human fatality in the current wave of infection that began in May ¶2007. The Government of Vietnam (GVN) is again providing prompt reports to the World Health Organization (WHO). At the same time, GVN officials acknowledge continuing challenges in responding to the disease, including complacency from local officials and the population at large. Additionally, much of Vietnam's supply of Tamiflu has expired or may soon do so, forcing the GVN to look for other short-term options. End Summary. GVN Reports Numerous Poultry Outbreaks -------------- ¶2. (U) Over the past few weeks, the GVN has reported animal outbreaks in nine provinces (Quang Ninh, Hai Duong, Quang Tri, Tuyen Quang, Ninh Binh, Vinh Long, Phu Tho, Ha Nam, and Hanoi) scattered throughout the country, while declaring four other previously infected provinces (Hai Duong, Long An, Nam Dinh, Thai Nguyen) free of reported outbreaks for the past 21 days. Some provinces reported multiple outbreaks in different districts. Typically, the disease has struck small flocks of unvaccinated (or just vaccinated) ducks, Muscovy ducks, and chickens. Though localized and easily controlled, the outbreaks infected thousands of birds. After testing confirmed the presence of H5N1, animal health officials ordered the entire flocks culled. Including Hanoi -------------- ¶3. (U) The outbreak in Hanoi was the first since March 2007 and killed more than 2,000 ducks and chickens at a farm in Hanoi's outlying district of Soc Son on March 3 and 4. Consistent with other areas, the outbreak involved ducklings and chickens too young for vaccination. Tran Manh Giang, head of the Hanoi Departmet of Animal Health, told the local press that authorities culled the remaining ducks and chickens on the farm, began a ten-day sterilization period, and banned the transport of poultry from the neighborhood. Nonetheless, Giang expressed concerns that the outbreak would spread throughout the district despite the official response. GVN Dissatisfaction with Response in Several Localities -------------- -------------- ¶4. (U) The Department of Animal Health (DAH) within the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) publicly expressed concern with local efforts to prevent the disease. According to DAH, negligence of local authorities in prevention activities contributed to the outbreaks, as these officials failed to effectively monitor the development of the disease or to ensure thorough vaccination of HANOI 00000304 002.2 OF 003 local flocks. Additionally, DAH noted the problem of farmers failing to report the deaths of their birds to authorities and instead destroying the birds without proper disinfection. Officials fear that animal outbreaks will recur and spread extensively as farmers in Mekong Delta provinces use paddy grains left over on fields after harvesting to feed new flocks of ducks. GVN Response -------------- ¶5. (U) In response, MARD has launched a month-long campaign too disinfect the environment throughout the country in a bid to prevent bird flu from spreading. Vice Minister Bui Ba Bong noted to the media that current animal outbreaks were worse than those from last year and stated that the campaign would focus on poultry farms, waterfowl hatching centers, poultry slaughtering houses and markets. Participants at a MARD-sponsored meeting agreed that central and local officials need to focus on vaccinating new birds, strengthening quarantine, controlling transportation, trade, slaughtering and consuming poultry products, supervising each household for early detection and containing the spread of the disease and establishing a hot line to update information about the disease. In addition, localities must carry out regular sterilisation, apply safe measures in husbandry, check hatching and raising units and the strengthen the capacity of locals to comply with preventive measures. Deaths of Civet Cats -------------- ¶6. (U) Separately, on March 12, the media reported that avian influenza killed four civets in a Vietnamese national park in Ninh Binh province, one of the nine provinces with ongoing poultry outbreaks, the second time the rare type of mammal was reported to have died there of the H5N1 virus since 2005. According to a park official, four endangered Owston's palm civets died early last month at Cuc Phuong Park and tests of their samples found they had the H5N1 virus. Park officials have now banned visitors from the area surrounding the civets. Most Recent Human Fatality -------------- ¶7. (U) On February 25, a 23 year old woman from Cam Khe District in Phu Tho Province (approximately 50 kilometers west of Hanoi) died at the National Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases (NIITD) in Hanoi. She had become ill on February 14 after preparing and sharing a meal of sick household chicken on February 12. Reportedly, other chickens in the family flock had already died prior to this meal. She was admitted to a provincial hospital on February 19 before transfer to NIITD suffering from respiratory failure on February 21. The National Institute of Health and Epidemiology (NIHE) reported positive RT-PCR results to the WHO on February 22. Each of the last nine human cases since May 2007 have resulted in deaths. To date, we have seen no clustering of human infections, though we note with concern the high mortality rate in HANOI 00000304 003.2 OF 003 the current wave, which, while based upon a very small sample size, may indicate that the virus is mutating into a more virulent form. ¶8. (U) Reports of other possible H5N1 infections proved to be inaccurate and the victims instead diagnosed with influenza A (unconfirmed) and influenza B, both commonly circulating human influenza strains. The severe viral pneumonia component of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supported national influenza sentinel surveillance system detected and enrolled both patients. We estimate that each year approximately 10,000 people die from influenza with many more becoming seriously ill, creating a challenge for health officials to quickly determine which victims suffer from H5N1. USG Efforts to Ensure Prompt Reporting -------------- 9.(SBU) In response to concerns regarding delayed reporting of diagnostic tests to WHO (refs A and B),CDC Influenza Coordinator met with officials at the NIHE, the Vietnam Administration of Preventative Medicine (VAPM),and Hanoi referral hospitals to urge prompt notification and improved internal communications. Following these meetings, both NIHE and VAPM met with the hospitals. Most recently, communications seem to have improved and the GVN immediately notified the WHO regarding the positive H5N1 test for the latest human victim. Additionally, the Ministry of Health (MOH) continues share information and virus isolates with the WHO collaborating center Avian Influenza network, including CDC, and VAPM included a WHO staffer in two of its most recent field investgations. Tamiflu Shortage -------------- ¶10. (U) NIITD reported a shortage of Tamiflu due to the expiration of large portions of its stockpile, which had been donated by Taiwan in 2005. Officials in Hai Duong already encountered this problem when trying to provide prophylaxis to relatives and neighbors of a young man who died from H5N1 (ref B),while Phu Tho, which has also suffered an H5N1 fatality, also reported a lack of Tamiflu. Per media reports, MOH has begun to search for new supplies and will temporarily use Osetavimin, produced in Vietnam, as a short term replacement, while Zuellig Pharma Vietnam (ZPV) donated a stock of Tamiflu costing over VND120 million (approximately USD 7,500) for use in a few medical facilities. Michalak