WEST BENGAL OFFICIAL CLAIMS AVIAN FLU UNDER CONTROL AS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KOLKATA 000025

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT PLS PASS CDC -- NCOX, SBLOUNT AND TO HHS - STEIGER, HICKEY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFLU TBIO EAGR CASC SENV IN
SUBJECT: WEST BENGAL OFFICIAL CLAIMS AVIAN FLU UNDER CONTROL AS
DISEASE SPREADS

REF: A) KOLKATA 14 B) KOLKATA 17 C) KOLKATA 19 D) KOLKATA 23

KOLKATA 00000025 001.2 OF 002



1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On January 22, ConGen, Pol/Econoff and Econ
FSN met West Bengal State Animal Resource Department (ARD)
Principal Secretary Dilip Chakraborty to discuss GOWB efforts to
control the spreading Avian Influenza (AI) in the state, which
has gone from two districts to seven districts in the past week.
Chakraborty did not fully acknowledge the seriousness of the
situation, claiming the GOWB was managing the outbreak, and
blaming neighboring Bangladesh's inadequate response to AI for
the current problem. Chakraborty said that culling and clean-up
operations were gaining momentum and that the GOWB hoped to cull
two million birds in the next six days. He indicated that the
GOWB was facing difficulty in procuring personal protective
equipment (PPE). ConGen expressed concern about the AI
situation and extended U.S. cooperation and assistance should
the local government request it through the GOI. Contrary to
Chakraborty's protestations of "everything is under control,"
the GOWB response to the AI outbreak so far has been slow and
inadequate and the AI infections will likely continue to spread.
END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) During a January 22 meeting with Consulate officers,

W. Bengal government ARD Principal Secretary Dilip Chakraborty
noted that AI has been confirmed in seven state districts, up
from just two districts in the past week. He said that with the
expanded area that the ARD plans to cull two million chickens
and other birds in the seven districts in six days. With the
arrival of veterinary and ARD personnel from other states,
including Assam, Harayana, and Rajasthan, the number of culling
teams will number approximately 500. (Comment: Considering
that 300 culling teams were only able to kill 160,000 birds in
the past five days, the two million culling target is
optimistic. End Comment.)


3. (SBU) Chakraborty blamed neighboring Bangladesh for the
avian influenza outbreak. Despite the presence of Indian Border
Security Force (BSF) and the Bangladeshi Rifles (BDR) soldiers,
he pointed out the free movement of goods and people across the
international borders, and commented that India will continue to
be threatened with AI as long as Bangladesh did not take
adequate measures to control the disease. He indicated that W.
Bengal and the GOI have now sealed international and
inter-district borders to stop the movement of poultry in W.
Bengal.


4. (U) Chakraborty admitted initial problems with the culling
operations, but attributed the difficulties to two causes, which
he felt had now been addressed. Initially, villagers did not
give the poultry for culling as they were not confident about
receiving subsequent compensation. Chakrabarty said the GOWB
has now adopted a policy of immediate payment when farmers bring
in birds for culling. Moreover, on January 19 and 20,
Chakraborty said that Muslims villagers did not participate in
culling operations due to the Muharram festival. Chakraborty
claimed that the culling has increased following Muharram and
with cash compensation, more villagers are now complying with
the cull.


5. (SBU) ConGen expressed USG concerns about the spread of AI in

W. Bengal and inquired whether the USG could provide assistance.
Chakraborty said that the AI outbreak was under control, but
that ARD's stock of personal protective equipment (PPE) was
running low. The GOWB has ordered 20,000 more kits but the
supplies are slow in coming. Chakraborty said that the GOWB
would continue to work with the GOI for more PPE kits.
Chakrabarty believed that the shortage of PPE was a result of
the Chinese government placing an order for one million PPE kits
with the primary supplier in the United States.


6. (U) Chakraborty also criticized the media for
sensationalizing the AI outbreak. He complained that AI
reports, especially those about non-confirmed human infections,
were inaccurate. He said that in many cases pictures printed in
newspapers showing children playing with infected and dead birds
were staged by reporters.


7. (SBU) COMMENT: Chakraborty's theme of "everything is under
control" suggests that the GOWB is still not acknowledging the
seriousness of the state's AI outbreak. Econ FSN found in his
visit to the affected areas that the few initial culling teams
were already suffering severe stress from a task that is both

KOLKATA 00000025 002.2 OF 002


mentally and physically taxing. The rapid spread, from two to
seven districts in one week, is alarming and indicates that the
GOWB response has been too slow. The GOWB is unlikely to meet
its target of two million birds culled in the next week. The
media reports may have some inaccurate information but the media
has been better at conveying the reality of the AI outbreak than
the GOWB and the regular headlines have at least forced some
accountability. The state government has done a poor job of
explaining the risks of AI to the affected villagers prompting
many to not cooperate with the culling or the safety measures.
The GOWB is unwilling to directly ask for any form of
international assistance as the Indian bureaucracy requires such
requests to go through the national government. Failing an
effective state-level response, limited GOI inolvement and the
general unwillingness to accept foreign assistance, the AI
outbreak in West Bengal will likely continue to spread.
JARDINE