TWO NEW AVIAN INFLUENZA POULTRY OUTBREAKS AND UPDATE ON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001404 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/EP, INR, OES/STC, OES/IHA, MED,AND OES/IHB (DFANTOZZI, CPATTERSON, CSHAPIRO) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (STERN) AND FT DETRICK HHS/OSSI/DSI PASS TO FIC/NIH (RGLASS),OGHA (JMONAHAN, MABDOO, SCUMMINGS, DMILLER),ASPR (MPERDUE, RROBINSON) CDC FOR COGH (SBLOUNT),CCID (SREDD),DIV-FLU (NCOX, AMOEN),AND NCZVED (AKHAN, CRUBIN) USDA PASS TO APHIS, FAS (OSTA AND OCRA),FSIS BANGKOK FOR USAID (MACARTHUR/AATHWIN),APHIS (HHOWARD/RTANAKA) AND CDC (MSIMMERMAN) ENTS)BEIJING FOR HHS HEALTH ATTACHE (EYUAN) AND CDC (JMCFARLAND) JAKARTA FOR CDC INFLUENZA COORDINATOR (FMAHONEY) PHNOM PENH FOR CDC INFLUENZA COORDINATOR (PKITSUTANI) ROME FOR FAO (JZINGESER) VIENTIANE FOR CDC INFLUENZA COORDINATOR (ACORWIN) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO EAGR EAID PREL KFLU VM SUBJECT: TWO NEW AVIAN INFLUENZA POULTRY OUTBREAKS AND UPDATE ON RECENT HUMAN FATALITY REF: HANOI 1290 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Earlier this week, Vietnam reported two poultry outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI),confirmed to be with the viral strain A/H5N1, in southernmost Ca Mau province and northern Thai Nguyen province. We have not seen any reports of human infections in these provinces. A relative of a recent A/H5N1 victim in Dien Bien province recently tested positive for A/H1N1, but not for A/H5N1. End Summary. New A/H5N1 Poultry Outbreaks -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Department of Animal Health (DAH) officials reported to Embassy staff that HPAI broke out on November 25 in Tan Loc Bac commune, Thai Binh district, in Ca Mau province. Of 350 susceptible ducks, 184 were infected, 178 died, and the remaining 172 ducks were destroyed. Poultry were reported sick or dead within 1 week after receiving an initial influenza vaccination. We do not yet know whether there is relationship between the initial vaccination and the morbidity and mortality. ¶3. (SBU) DAH officials reported to Embassy staff that HPAI broke out on December 9 in two households raising poultry in Hoang Nong commune, Dai Tu district, in Thai Nguyen province, located in northern Vietnam (about 75 kilometers north of Hanoi). Of 900 susceptible ducks, 350 were infected, and 310 died. On December 11, HPAI broke out in ducks in Yen Lang commune, Dai Tu district, with 95 infections, including 55 deaths in the 152 animal flock. These poultry flocks were not reported to have received influenza vaccination. As a preventive measure, local authorities destroyed 4,100 ducks, 102 chickens, and 17,750 poultry eggs from both communes, and established preventive measures. ¶4. (U) Media outlets referencing DAH officials reported that quarantine stations were set up in both Ca Mau and Thai Nguyen provinces to ensure appropriate transporting and slaughtering of poultry. Also, one million vaccine doses were allocated to allow for properly vaccinating flocks in both Ca Mau and Thai Nguyen provinces. Additional Details on Recent A/H5N1 Human Fatality -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Some additional information has surfaced about the recent case of the 23-year-old man who died November 28 of influenza A/H5N1 in northwestern Dien Bien Province. The victim had slaughtered one duck and one Muscovy duck and eaten well-cooked meat and blood pudding one week prior to onset of symptoms. Officials in the Ministry of Health (MOH) reported that a relative of the patient died of a respiratory illness and was buried before samples could be taken. Seven persons exposed to the patient were swabbed for influenza virus as part of the MOH investigation. The patient's 17-year-old cousin who lived in a separate house was asymptomatic but was found to be positive for 2009 A/H1N1 influenza, but not A/H5N1. There are currently other cases of 2009 A/H1N1 influenza in the province but not in that commune. ¶6. (SBU) The victim's family kept poultry, but no pigs underneath the house and had a small pond for raising ducks. All ducks, chickens, and Muscovy ducks were reported healthy. A pooled sample of several swabs of the family's ducks and chickens taken as part of the MOH investigation, December 2-4, tested positive for A/H5N1 [Note: the Muscovy ducks had already been sold or consumed by the HANOI 00001404 002 OF 002 time MOH arrived]. DAH did a separate investigation taking 8 samples (2 chickens, 2 Muscovy ducks, and 4 ducks). The samples were received at the national lab on December 4 and all were negative for A/H5N1. [Note: we cannot determine if the same animals were tested. End Note.] MARD has not announced a new A/H5N1 outbreak in this province. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED Michalak