VZCZCXRO2272
PP RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHCI #0234/01 2181232
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 061232Z AUG 07
FM AMCONSUL KOLKATA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1630
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1547
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 0302
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0093
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0023
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE USD FAS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPH/CDC CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHHJJPI/PACOM IDHS HONOLULU HI
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/USAID WASHDC
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 2002

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KOLKATA 000234 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AIAG - HSUMMERS, JLANGE, TNEWTON 
 
DEPT PLS PASS TO HHS - WSTEIGER, DBELL, CHICKEY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU EAGR TBIO SENV CASC IN BM
SUBJECT: MANIPUR FINISHES AI BIRD CULL AND 550 CHICKENS DIE IN 
NEIGHBORING TRIPURA -- TEST RESULTS PENDING 
 
REF: A)  KOLKATA 219   B) KOLKATA 220   C) KOLKATA 226   D) KOLKATA 227 
 
KOLKATA 00000234  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY:  On August 4 culling operations in response to 
the recent H5N1 Avian Influenza outbreak ended in Manipur, with 
an estimated 330,000 birds culled.  Local authorities are now 
concentrating on surveillance and monitoring activities. 
Samples taken from four people living on the Chingmeirong farm, 
where the outbreak occurred and who had demonstrated "flu like" 
symptoms over the weekend, have tested negative for H5N1 virus. 
In the nearby state of Tripura, around 500 chickens died at the 
Divoyodayay Krishi Vigyan Kendra farm between August 1 and 3. 
The Tripura state government is conducting surveillance along 
the Tripura-Bangladesh border, is implementing decontamination 
measures, and is keeping Rapid Response Teams on standby as 
officials wait for the test results from the dead birds.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
¶2.  (U) On August 4, the the Manipur State Animal Resources 
Department completed culling and burial of poultry and domestic 
birds after the outbreak of H5N1 virus in the state.  Around 
330,000 birds were culled within a 3-mile radius of the infected 
farm at Chingmeirong, near Imphal.  In addition to destroying 
domestic fowl, including chicken, ducks, and pigeons, the Rapid 
Response Teams destroyed 28,000 eggs and 25,242 kg of poultry 
feed.  Media reported that Manipur government has given USD 
175,000 as compensation to poultry owners for the culled fowl, 
eggs and feed. 
 
 
 
¶3. (U) The Director of Manipur's Animal Resources Department 
told Post that his department was now concentrating on 
mopping-up and surveillance activities.   Surveillance is being 
maintained within a 6-mile radius from the Chingmeirong farm, 
and door-to-door surveillance is continuing in 79 villages where 
culling has taken place.  As of August 5, there have been no 
further reports of unusual poultry deaths in Manipur. 
 
 
 
¶4. (U) 40 Rapid Response Teams of Manipur's Health Department 
are continuing their daily checks of the people living within 
the surveillance zone.  Contacts in Imphal confirmed that 
clinical samples from four boys from the Chingmeirong farm, who 
were suffering from upper respiratory tract infections, have 
come back negative for the H5N1 virus.  The boys were kept in 
isolation when they reported "flu like" symptoms on August 2. 
The samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology in 
Pune and also to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases 
in New Delhi.  The samples tested negative in both laboratories. 
 
 
 
¶5. (U) In Tripura, approximately 550 poultry died at the 
Divoyodayay Krishi Vigyan Kendra farm, which is located in the 
Chebri village in Khowai subdivision of West Tripura district, 
about 50 miles northwest of Tripura's state capital Agartala. 
The birds died between August 1 and 3.  Tripura's Animal 
Resources Department has collected samples and sent these to 
High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal for 
testing and is awaiting the results. 
 
 
 
¶6.  (U) Contacts in Agartala believe that the birds "may have 
died due to some other infection."  The Tripura government, 
meanwhile, is keeping 71 Rapid Response Team on standby.  The 
Indian Border Security Force has stepped up vigilance along the 
India-Bangladesh border to prevent smuggling of poultry and 
poultry products into India.  Decontamination measures such as 
spraying vehicles with sodium hypochlorite solution are taking 
place at border check-posts.  The Tripura Chamber of Commerce 
 
KOLKATA 00000234  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
President told Post that Chamber members are reporting a decline 
in demand for poultry and that local poultry prices were falling. 
JARDINE