RUSSIA BLOCKS IMPORTS OF U.S. MEAT AND

UNCLAS MOSCOW 001150 SENSITIVE SIPDIS USDA FAS FOR OCRA/KUYPERS, RIKER; OSTA/BEAN, HAMILTON, HAXTON; ONA/TING, SALLYARDS PASS FSIS DUTROW, HARRIES PASS APHIS BURLESON STATE FOR EUR/RUS STATE PASS USTR FOR CHATTIN, HAFNER, MURPHY BRUSSELS PASS APHIS/FERNANDEZ VIENNA PASS APHIS/MITCHELL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ETRD ECON WTO RS SUBJECT: RUSSIA BLOCKS IMPORTS OF U.S. MEAT AND POULTRY OVER INFLUENZA A H1N1 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Russian Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) advised via official letter that several U.S. states have been restricted from exporting meat and poultry to Russia resulting from human cases of influenza A H1N1. California, New York, Texas and South Carolina are temporarily restricted from exporting all types of fresh/frozen meat and poultry products to Russia. Thirteen additional states (Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Florida) have been temporarily restricted from exporting all fresh/frozen pork and pork products to Russia. Russian Chief Vet Nikolay Vlasov informed Post that the list of U.S. states facing restrictions will be updated regularly depending on new information provided by USDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). END SUMMARY. -------------- RISK ZONE 1 -------------- ¶2. (U) VPSS has implemented a "risk zone" system when discussing trade restrictions placed on meat and poultry products from countries where human cases of H1N1 have been confirmed. Zone 1 means that temporary restrictions are in force on all types of fresh/frozen meat and poultry (as well as on all processed meat and poultry products that have not been heat-treated at a minimum temperature of 80 degrees Celsius during not less then 30 minutes). U.S. states of Texas, California, New York and South Carolina fall in this category as of April 21. The restrictions on Texas, New York and California cover all meat and poultry products that were produced/slaughtered after April 21, 2009. The restrictions on South Carolina cover all meat and poultry products produced/slaughtered after May ¶4. In addition, VPSS announced that transit of all meat and poultry products for loading at ports is permitted in zone 1 as is the use of cold storage warehouses. -------------- RISK ZONE 2 -------------- ¶3. (U) Several countries and U.S. states have been placed in zone 2. This category restricts all fresh and frozen pork and pork products, and processed pork products that have not been heat- treated at a minimum temperature of 80 degrees Celsius for at least 30 minutes. Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Florida have all been placed in zone 2. The restrictions on all of these states cover pork products that were produced/slaughtered after April 24 (except Delaware after May 5). In addition, VPSS announced that transit of all pork products for loading at ports is permitted in zone 1 as is the use of cold storage warehouses. -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶3. (SBU) As of May 4, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed 279 human cases of influenza A H1N1 in the United States in 36 states. Most U.S. cases have been mild in nature with only one death reported in Texas. Influenza A H1N1 is being spread person to person. None of the confirmed human cases in the United States was the result of exposure to swine and the CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) all state that there is no evidence that this virus is transmitted by consuming meat products that have been properly handled and cooked. There have been no reports of this influenza A H1N1 isolate occurring in live pigs in the United States. A network of Federal veterinarians, state animal health officials and private practitioners are regularly involved with monitoring U.S. swine for signs of significant disease. -------------- INFO NEEDED -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Russian Chief Veterinary Officer Nikolay Vlasov informed AGR via telephone on April 29 that tremendous pressure came from above (Kremlin) to restrict meat shipments from countries affected by H1N1 as a precautionary approach. Once GOR began receiving more and more scientific data that the restrictions were not warranted, Vlasov stated that he would order the lifting of restrictions "little by little". Vlasov is surely aware that there is no scientific evidence showing that the virus can spread from properly handling and cooking meat products. Vlasov is the Russian delegate at the OIE and one of Russia's most respected scientists. Since then, Vlasov has called AGR everyday to discuss what he needs to know before he can begin lifting restrictions placed on meat and poultry products from U.S. states. Since April 28, this approach has been working as several U.S. states were removed from both zones after USDA provided detailed information to Vlasov and his team. ¶5. (SBU) Vlasov emphasized in a recent phone call that he would like to receive more scientific information about whether or not the H1N1 virus can spread from pig to pig and from pigs to humans. Vlasov stated that he was aware that CDC and USDA were doing research in this area and asked that he be provided the results of the research as quickly as possible. Vlasov also stated that he was ready to move Texas, California, New York and South Carolina from zone 1 to zone 2 after getting more information about what additional steps USDA is taking to monitor the health of pigs (cows, chickens, horses, etc) in farms and what additional steps USG is taking to monitor the health of people who work in the U.S. meat and poultry industries (particularly those who work in farms and slaughterhouses) in those states. -------------- GOR TACKLES H1N1 -------------- ¶6. (SBU) PM Vladimir Putin ordered a "Government Commission on Preventing the Spread of Swine Flu Dissemination in the Russian Federation", which was held on April 29. The commission decided, among other things, to restrict pork and pork products that have not been heat-treated, from countries affected by swine flu until June 1, ¶2009. "Measures that are being taken to prevent the so-called 'swine flu' dissemination on the territory of the Russian Federation are preventive and adequately correspond to the level of threat that has been determined by the World Health Organization and the relevant Russian agencies", said First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov who chaired the Commission. -------------- DEMARCHE DELIVERED -------------- ¶7. (SBU) AGR delivered a demarche to Vlasov on May 4 and requested that current restrictions placed on U.S. meat and poultry products be lifted immediately. Vlasov stated that he was been ordered to keep restrictions placed on pork and pork products from countries where human cases of H1N1 have been detected until June 1 (resulting from the governmental commission on swine flu). He stated that the only way for him to lift the restrictions before June 1 is if he were to receive scientific evidence about how the virus spreads and whether or not the virus spreads among pig herds and from pigs to humans. Depending on the information received from research in the area, and assuming that the evidence pointed to minimal risk, Vlasov agreed to advise the Kremlin that restrictions were no longer necessary and should be removed. Until then, Vlasov stated, that his hands were tied. BEYRLE