VZCZCXRO6032
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #2403/01 0540643
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 230643Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9994
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY
INFO RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUENMED/BUMED WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 9048
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0813
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 1842
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 1706
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 2041
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3233
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 0033
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0195

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002403 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/IET, A/MED AND S/ES-O 
DEPT FOR OES/FO, OES/EID, OES/PCI, OES/STC AND OES/IHA 
DEPT PASS TO USDA/FAS/DLP/HWETZEL AND FAS/ICD/LAIDIG 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO USDA/FAS/FAA/DYOUNG AND USDA/APHIS 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO USAID/ANE/CLEMENTS AND GH/CARROLL 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/BILL STEIGER AND AMAR BHAT 
PARIS FOR FAS/AG MINISTER COUNSELOR 
CANBERRA FOR APHIS/DHANNAPEL 
ROME FOR FAO 
NSC FOR JMELINE 
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID/RDM/A 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO AMED CASC EAGR AMGT PGOV ID KFLU
SUBJECT:INDONESIA - FEBRUARY 21 AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE 
 
REF: Jakarta 2177 and previous 
 
JAKARTA 00002403  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  Authorities in several Indonesian 
provinces have announced actions to control Avian Influenza 
(AI) in birds, including door-to-door inspections, culling 
and vaccinations, according to press reports.  The total 
number of confirmed human AI cases in Indonesia has risen to 
27, with 19 deaths, indicating a mortality rate of 70 
percent.  NAMRU2 scientists believe there may be larger 
numbers of mild or asymptomatic human AI cases that are not 
being reported to health authorities.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Since we transmitted reftel, the Indonesian press has 
reported announcements by several provincial or city 
authorities to control AI in birds.  Jakarta authorities 
reportedly plan to send a 600-person team to "scour" 
residential areas starting February 24, testing birds for 
AI.  Their plan is to kill all birds within a one-kilometer 
radius of sick birds and vaccinate all birds within an 
additional three kilometers.  The authorities plan to 
reimburse bird owners 10,000 rupiah (about 1 US dollar) per 
bird.  However, according to February 23 press reports, 
Jakarta authorities will take 2-3 days to "fully verify" 
that birds are infected before beginning culling.  (Note: 
The 600-person team will operate within Jakarta city limits 
only, and will not cover the suburbs east, west, and south 
of Jakarta where many of the human AI cases have originated. 
These suburbs lie in Banten and West Java province. End 
Note.)  Provincial officials in West and Central Java have 
reportedly bemoaned lack of resources to carry out 
inspections and vaccinations of birds in these densely 
populated areas. 
 
Human AI Case Profile 
--------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) NAMRU-2 data indicates the following AI-related case 
profile as of February 22. 
 
-- Number of laboratory confirmed (positive PCR and/or 
serology) human AI cases: 27, of which 19 have been fatal 
(fatality rate of 70 percent). 
 
-- Number of probable AI cases: 5, with 4 deaths (fatality 
rate of 80 percent). 
 
-- Number of cases awaiting verification by the US CDC: 1. 
 
-- Number of possible AI cases under investigation: 
approximately 28. 
 
-- Number of excluded AI cases: 193. 
 
¶4. (U) NAMRU-2 surmises that there may be significant 
numbers of mild or asymptomatic cases of AI in humans in 
Indonesia that are not being reported to health authorities. 
The cases that are brought to the attention of hospitals are 
usually those in which the disease is advanced.  Patients 
generally report to the hospital at day 5-7 of illnesses, a 
fact that may explain the high fatality rate of AI in 
Indonesia. 
 
JAKARTA 00002403  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Comment:  The number of stories about AI in the 
Indonesian press has increased noticeably in recent weeks, 
probably due to the rise in the number of human AI cases in 
January and February, and to the increased cases of AI world 
wide.  The Jakarta city government's decision to begin a 
more organized culling and vaccination program is good news, 
but more forceful follow up actions will be needed to 
control AI among poultry in the capital.  Despite the 
upswing in public attention to AI, we see no evidence that 
the Government of Indonesia (GOI) has begun implementing its 
AI response plan.  The Coordinating Ministry for People's 
Welfare has begun planning to establish a GOI AI "command 
center" but this entity is not yet official.  In addition, 
the Ministry of Agriculture has not shown any intention to 
assist the provinces, either organizationally or 
financially, in their efforts to combat AI in birds. 
 
PASCOE