VZCZCXRO5963
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHMOS
DE RUEHGB #0254/01 0301200
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301200Z JAN 06
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2364
RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000254 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: ECON PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: HUMAN H5N1 CASE CONFIRMED IN IRAQ 
 
REF: A. 05 BAGHDAD 4384 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  The Naval Medical Research Unit-3 (NAMRU) 
in Cairo confirmed January 29 that the young girl who 
died January 17 in Sulaymaniyah Province had 
contracted H5N1 avian influenza (AI).  NAMRU has not 
yet tested the girl's uncle, who died January 28.  The 
World Health Organization (WHO) is acting as lead on 
international assistance to the GOI, whose response 
since H9N2 was discovered in Erbil in October 2005 has 
been disjointed (reftel).  The Embassy Avian Flu 
Working Group continues to monitor the situation and 
provide assistance to the GOI as appropriate.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
---------- 
Background 
---------- 
 
¶2. NAMRU in Cairo, which serves as the Eastern 
Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO)/WHO Regional 
Reference Laboratory, confirmed January 29 that 
Shrikeen Abdel-Qader, the 15-year-old girl who died 
January 17 in Sulaymaniyah, had contracted H5N1 AI. 
(NOTE: Press accounts and official sources differ on 
the exact names of the young girl and her uncle. 
There is only one confirmed case of human H5N1 AI in 
Iraq.  END NOTE.)  The WHO had reported previously 
that Shrikeen died from bacterial pneumonia.  NAMRU 
has forwarded samples to London for a second 
confirmation and has informed the WHO, which will 
notify the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Baghdad.  NAMRU 
also tested samples from two women who had close 
contact with Shrikeen, both of whom tested negative 
for H5N1.  Shrikeen's uncle, who was in close contact 
with her during her illness, died on January 28. 
NAMRU has not yet tested samples from him. 
 
¶3. According to local reports, Shrikeen lived in a 
district called Rania, which is located 60 miles south 
of the Turkish border and is known as a stopover for 
migratory birds from Turkey.  Shrikeen's family 
reportedly kept chickens in their home, and some of 
these birds also had died.  According to 
MoH/Sulaymaniyah sources, Shrikeen's uncle, Mohammed 
Abdullah Qader, lived in the same district but had no 
direct contact with poultry.  The same source said 
that Mohammed had accompanied Shrikeen in the 
ambulance from Rania to the Sulaymaniyah hospital, and 
that Mohammed said on January 24 that his hometown of 
Sarkapkan had been free of living birds for the 
previous 20 days. 
 
----------------------- 
Response and Assistance 
----------------------- 
 
¶4. The WHO is acting as lead in providing 
international assistance to the GOI.  The Kurdish 
Regional Government (KRG) has requested 20,000 doses 
of Tamiflu (enough to treat 2,000 patients at ten 
doses per patient) from the WHO, and the WHO is 
responding through its representative in Kurdistan. 
In addition, the WHO is sending two investigative 
teams to Iraq and is prepared send more as the 
situation requires.  The KRG also requested 1,000 
doses of Tamiflu and 100 individual test kits from the 
Republic of Korea (ROK) contingent in Erbil, which the 
ROK has provided. 
 
¶5. Since the initial outbreak of H9N2 in October 2005 
(reftel), the KRG and MoH/Baghdad have been working 
with WHO and Embassy officials to monitor bird 
movements and suspected AI cases.  USAID has assisted 
the KRG through its office in Erbil; the Embassy 
Health Attache regularly consults with MoH officials; 
and MNF-I has provided guidance on veterinary issues. 
Also, the Ministries of Agriculture and Health in 
Baghdad and Kurdistan have been conducting a media 
campaign to educate farmers and the general population 
on the dangers of AI and on the proper procedure for 
reporting abnormal bird and poultry situations. 
(COMMENT: A systematic lack of communication between 
the Kurdistani and central governments has led to 
suboptimal coordination on AI response and prevention 
planning.  In light of the critical need for a 
response now, donors should consider approaches to 
assist GOI ministries in their planning.  We are 
flying the Minister of Health to Kurdistan January 30 
in an effort to improve coordination.  END COMMENT.) 
 
¶6. Prior to confirmation that Shrikeen had contracted 
H5N1, only the H9N2 strain of AI had been confirmed in 
 
BAGHDAD 00000254  002 OF 002 
 
 
Kurdistan and Basrah.  The Embassy Avian Flu Working 
Group continues to monitor the situation and to 
provide assistance to the GOI as appropriate. 
 
KHALILZAD