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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAM #2358/01 0921420
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O 021420Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9326
INFO RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA IMMEDIATE
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA IMMEDIATE 0868
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA IMMEDIATE 0415
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL IMMEDIATE 0112
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV IMMEDIATE 4125
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS IMMEDIATE 3263
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO IMMEDIATE 2310
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM IMMEDIATE 3824
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT IMMEDIATE 2372
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH IMMEDIATE 1556
RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH IMMEDIATE 0702
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME IMMEDIATE 1372
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 0495

UNCLAS AMMAN 002358 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS USAID FOR GLOBAL HEALTH/K HILL, D CARROLL 
USDA FOR APHIS 
STATE FOR M/MED DASHO DR. TRIPLET 
GENEVA FOR WHO REPRESENTATIVE 
ROME PASS US MISSION FAO 
OES FOR SINGER, DALEY 
NEA FOR RA/LAWSON 
STATE FOR CA/OCS/ACS/NESA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO CASC KFLU JO
SUBJECT: Jordan/H5N1: First Human Case Arrives by Ferry from 
Egypt 
 
REF: A) Amman 2326, B) Amman 2176, C) Amman 2156 
 
¶1.  Summary: A 31 year-old Egyptian who arrived on March 27 
in Jordan already sick from H5N1 avian flu is Jordan's first 
human case.  The man raises poultry at his home in Egypt, 
the presumed source of the infection.  The man's medical 
condition on April 2 is stable.  No other human cases are 
reported, and no new cases in poultry in Jordan have been 
reported since the March 23 poultry outbreak.  End summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
Initial Test Negative; Followup PCR Confirms H5N1 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶2.  Jordan's Minister of Health Saeed Darwazeh said in a 
Friday, March 31 press conference that a 31 year-old 
Egyptian man arrived in Aqaba on Monday, March 27 by ferry 
from Nuweiba, Egypt, apparently already sick from H5N1 avian 
flu.  The man, who works in Jordan's construction industry 
and has a home in Kerak, Jordan (one hour south of Amman by 
car), checked himself into a Ministry of Health hospital in 
Kerak on Thursday, March 30.  He told health workers that he 
has chickens at his home in Fayyoum, Egypt, and this fact - 
combined with his symptoms - made him and hospital workers 
suspicious that he might have avian flu.  An initial "rapid" 
test was negative, but because of the strong clinical 
symptoms and the history of exposure to poultry, a second 
test by PCR was done, which confirmed H5N1.  Samples have 
been sent to the USG's NAMRU-3 lab in Cairo for further 
testing. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
Patient Had Clear Symptoms - Tamiflu Given 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶3.  AID FSN participated in the GOJ's Avian Flu Technical 
Committee meeting on Sunday, April 2.  The meeting was 
chaired by Ministry of Health (MOH) Secretary General for 
Technical Affairs Dr. Ali As'ad.  As of 1300 local time, the 
patient's medical condition was stable, although doctors are 
watching carefully as the patient reaches what they feel is 
a critical stage at 5-7 days after becoming symptomatic. 
Doctors reported at the meeting that the patient had 
symptoms of cough, high fever, congestion in the upper 
respiratory tract and around the eyes, and that his chest x- 
ray clearly showed evidence of disease in the lower lungs. 
 
¶4.  The MOH hospital in Kerak has put the man and a 
traveling companion in isolation, and is treating both with 
double dosages of Tamiflu.  Health authorities haven also 
given Tamiflu to eleven health workers with whom the 
Egyptian man had direct contact at the hospital.  Health 
authorities are monitoring the temperature and symptoms of 
the people at the patient's home in Kerak.  The Health 
Subcommittee of Jordan's Avian Flu Technical Committee has 
developed protocols for use of Tamiflu and is sticking with 
them, despite pressure for wider use of Tamiflu.  The GOJ's 
"golden rule" is direct exposure to confirmed cases in 
either birds or people.  No further human or avian cases of 
H5N1 in Jordan have been reported, and officials said that 
the situation in Ajloun in northern Jordan, where there were 
confirmed cases in turkeys in March, is under control (ref 
C). 
 
¶5.  GOJ officials are investigating why the initial "rapid" 
test was negative.  Three possible scenarios were discussed 
at the April 2 meeting: a bad or inadequate sample, poor lab 
 
procedures, or a bad test kit.  For the time being, GOJ 
protocols are that if the history and symptoms are strong 
indicators of avian flu, they will immediately do a PCR 
test. 
 
------------------------ 
Fine-tuning the Response 
------------------------ 
 
¶6.  The AI Technical Committee meeting gathered 
representatives from the Agriculture Ministry, the Health 
Ministry, Royal Medical Services and universities.  Chairman 
As'ad noted to attendees that the human case in Kerak is a 
"real test" of Jordan's capacity, and that the committee 
should use the opportunity to address the inevitable 
shortcomings and problems that emerge.  One such shortcoming 
was a delay in getting Tamiflu to Kerak; supplies are now 
being distributed around the country.  Another mid-course 
correction is to minimize the number of health workers (such 
as lab technicians) with direct exposure to H5N1.  There was 
discussion about continuing with plans to cull all backyard 
flocks around Jordan, and the decision was ultimately made 
to stand by that decision (ref B).  Compensation to farmers 
(ref A) is still an evolving issue, but the latest 
information from the Ministry of Agriculture is that the GOJ 
will compensate for all poultry that the GOJ itself culls, 
but not for any culling done by farmers themselves. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Industrial Poultry Operations Continuing 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  On the economic side, the committee agreed not to close 
Amman's large central slaughterhouse to poultry.  MOA and 
MOH officials agreed that closing the slaughterhouse would 
be a tacit admission that sick birds could get through their 
screening procedures.  They feel that their monitoring and 
other food safety procedures ensure that this will not 
happen.  Due to a drop in demand for chicken, big industrial 
poultry producers are freezing their product in preparation 
for a rebound in demand. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Public Outreach Campaign Shifting Gears 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  The press has covered the Egyptian's case widely in a 
straight-forward and factual manner.  Although the GOJ's 
initial press strategy focused on agriculture, it is now 
shifting gears to get out the message on human health. 
USAID is working with Johns Hopkins University to release 
immediately some television announcements, originally done 
for Egypt, on avian flu.  The GOJ's public affairs program 
on avian flu is also on a fast track, but may require a week 
or two to get its television announcements off the ground. 
Press placements are being done already. 
 
----------------------------- 
Embassy Outreach and Response 
----------------------------- 
 
¶9.  The Embassy's Avian Influenza Task Force met on April 2 
to discuss the case, review the tripwires and plan the next 
steps.  The Task Force agreed to take the following actions: 
the Ambassador will lead a discussion of avian flu at Town 
Hall meetings on the morning of April 6 for American staff, 
family members and locally-engaged staff.    A Management 
 
Notice will be circulated to all staff on April 2, and a 
warden message following similar lines will be distributed 
shortly after that.  A public informational event on avian 
flu for all concerned members of the larger Embassy 
community, including DOD contractors, AID contractors and 
staff at the American Language Center will be held on the 
afternoon of April 6.  Embassy ESTH Officer will participate 
in a webchat about avian flu on Tuesday, April 4. 
 
HALE