VZCZCXRO8741
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB
DE RUEHHI #0916/01 1111227
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211227Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1578
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY PRIORITY 1007
RUEHZS/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 2916
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 5489
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG PRIORITY 0888
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU PRIORITY 0664
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU PRIORITY 0227
RUEHRO/USMISSION UN ROME PRIORITY
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI PRIORITY 1358
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHRC/USDA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//USDP/ISA/AP// PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC//J2/J3/J5//
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC//DHO-3//
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J00/J2/J3/J5//
RHEFAFM/DIRAFMIC FT DETRICK MD//MA-1A//

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 000916 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G, CA/OCS/ACS/EAP, EAP/EX, EAP/MLS, EAP/EP, INR, 
OES/STC (PBATES), OES/IHA (DSINGER AND NCOMELLA), AND MED 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR ANE AND GH (DCARROLL, SCLEMENTS AND 
PCHAPLIN) 
STATE PASS TO USTR (EBRYAN) 
STATE PASS TO HHS/OGHA (WSTIEGER, EELVANDER AND ABHAT) 
USDA PASS TO APHIS 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (LSTERN) 
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID (MFRIEDMAN, JMACARTHUR AND 
MBRADY) 
ROME FOR FAO 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KFLU AMED AMGT CASC EAGR PINR SOCI VM
SUBJECT: VIETNAM - APRIL 20 AVIAN INFLUENZA REPORT 
 
HANOI 00000916  001.20 OF 003 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - DO NOT POST ON INTERNET 
 
REF: HANOI 685 AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary.  Despite the fact that the Government of 
Vietnam (GVN) does not have a BLS-3 laboratory, a credible 
source indicates that two animal health laboratories in 
Vietnam have been isolating the H5N1 virus.  The Vice 
Director of the Ministry of Health's Drug Administration has 
confirmed that an agreement was signed with Roche in 
December 2005 with respect to Tamiflu.  On April 12, the GVN 
held a consultation meeting on the first draft of the Avian 
Influenza (AI) National Integrated Operational Work Program, 
dubbed "the Green Book."  A joint donor assessment mission, 
including nearly 30 international technical advisors, began 
work this week.  Results of the joint assessment will be 
incorporated into the Green Book, which the GVN plans to 
present at the APEC AI Ministerial meeting held May 4-5 in 
Danang.  State media reported that the Minister of 
Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Cao Duc Phat plans 
to discuss with Chinese officials measures to prevent 
poultry smuggling from China into Vietnam.  Post's AI 
Working Group is developing a computerized AI surveillance 
database that will capture medical information for Mission 
staff with suspected AI.  There have been no new human AI 
deaths since late October 2005 and no human cases since mid- 
November 2005.  The GVN continues to report no AI outbreaks 
in poultry since the last reported incident on December 17, 
¶2005.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) David Krueger, a microbiologist from the 
University of Wisconsin, has been working with MARD's 
Departments of Animal Health (DAH) laboratories in southern 
Vietnam to establish an effective real-time (RT) PCR 
diagnostic system.  Over the past month, he has conducted 
several trainings to establish quality control protocols and 
provided detailed recommendations to the DAH's Regional 
Animal Health Center's laboratories in HCMC, Can Tho and 
Danang.  The recommendations highlight the need to conduct 
periodic proficiency and efficiency trainings and 
evaluations; to ensure that equipment and supply purchases, 
especially those donated by aid agencies, are selected by 
local partners and take into account user friendliness and 
cost-efficiency, particularly good local supply chains and 
technical support; and to consider migrating over to one 
cost-efficient RT-PCR platform, namely Biorad iQ5. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In an outbrief to the Agriculture Attache, Health 
Attache, ESTHOff, and USAID Regional AI Advisor, Mr. Krueger 
reported that two DAH laboratories - the National Veterinary 
Diagnostic Center in Hanoi and the Regional Animal Health 
Center in HCMC - have been isolating the H5N1 virus, despite 
the fact that neither facility meets BLS-3 standards for bio- 
safety protocols.  (Note: The GVN does not currently operate 
any BLS-3 laboratories, although the Japanese Government 
plans to build a USD 8 million BSL-3 facility at the 
National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hanoi. 
Oxford University operates the only BLS-3 laboratory in 
Vietnam, which conducts research for commercial applications 
in HCMC. End Note.) 
 
 
HANOI 00000916  002.22 OF 003 
 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The Vice Director of the Ministry of Health's Drug 
Administration confirmed to the Health Attache that the Drug 
Administration signed an agreement with Roche in December 
2005 with respect to Tamiflu.  The agreement specifically 
states that Roche will provide Tamiflu tablets to Vietnam. 
The GVN has requested approximately 20 million tablets from 
Roche.  In addition, Roche will provide raw materials to the 
GVN for the production of oseltamivir in addition to 
providing technical assistance and plant inspections. 
However, in part because AI appears under control in 
Vietnam, implementation of oseltamavir production is lagging 
behind schedule. 
 
¶5.  (U) On April 12, MARD Minister Cao Duc Phat hosted a 
consultation meeting on the first draft of the AI National 
Integrated Operational Work Program, dubbed "the Green 
Book," which is a medium-term AI control and human pandemic 
response plan for 2006-2008.  A joint donor assessment 
mission, including nearly 30 international technical 
advisors, began work this week.  Results of the joint 
assessment will be incorporated into the Green Book, which 
the GVN plans to present at the APEC AI Ministerial meeting 
held May 4-5 in Danang. 
¶6.  (U) State media reported that the Minister Phat plans to 
discuss with officials from the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi 
measures to prevent poultry smuggling from China into 
Vietnam.  These reports also quoted the Head of the National 
Institute of Animal Health Truong Van Dung, stating that 16 
out of 38 blood samples taken from illegally imported 
chicken seized at the Mong Cai border gate in northern Quang 
Ninh province have tested positive for the H5 virus. 
Previously, some of the 30 samples of poultry seized in 
northern Lang Song province also tested positive for H5 
virus. 
¶7.  (U) In late March, the media reported that local 
authorities slaughtered 160 chicken and ducks at three farms 
in Cao Bang province, a border province with China after 
testing positive for H5.  The report further states that no 
tests were performed to confirm if the virus was the H5N1 
strain.  Meanwhile, the GVN has not budged from their 
official position that Vietnam remains AI-free in 2006. 
¶8.  (SBU) Post's AI Working Group is developing a 
computerized AI surveillance database that will capture 
medical information for Mission staff with suspected AI. 
The information will follow the patient through the course 
of the illness, reporting their symptoms, signs, treatment 
and outcome.  It will also include the information needed by 
MED/Washington, HHS, CDC, WHO and others. 
¶9.  (U) As of April 21, 2006: 
 
-- No human AI deaths since October 29, 2005 
-- No human AI cases since November 14, 2005 (Note: This GVN 
official date is five days later than date previously 
reported in reftel. End note.) 
-- No AI outbreaks in poultry since the last reported 
incident on Dec. 17, 2005 in Cao Bang Province 
 
¶10.  (U) A snapshot of other AI statistics includes: 
-- Eight million households were estimated to be engaged in 
poultry production prior to 2003 
-- The total poultry population stands at nearly 220 
 
HANOI 00000916  003.22 OF 003 
 
 
million. 
--  Over 51 million birds have been culled from December 
2003 to December 2005. 
-- During October 2005 through January 2006, 246 million 
vaccine doses were administered during the first national 
poultry vaccination campaign, including 166.9 million 
chickens and 78.5 million ducks.  Most birds received two 
vaccinations. 
-- Since February 2006, 33 million poultry in 30 cities and 
provinces have been vaccinated as part of the second 
national vaccination campaign. 
-- Approximately USD 50 million was committed to AI 
activities in Vietnam by the end of 2005. 
-- The USG is one of the largest AI donors in Vietnam, 
contributing USD 24 million in FY-2006 alone. 
 
Marine