VZCZCXRO4712
OO RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHPA
DE RUEHDJ #0578/01 1350841
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 150841Z MAY 06 ZUI EHCB 8540 H/W MISSING MCNS ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7199
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 3297
RUEHAE/AMEMBASSY ASMARA 2075
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0110
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0079
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0583
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 2919
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0829
RUEHYN/AMEMBASSY SANAA 1507
RHPIGXW/CJTF HOA
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0296

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 000578 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMED CASC TBIO KFLU EAID EAGR DJ
SUBJECT: UPDATE 1: AVIAN INFLUENZA IN DJIBOUTI 
 
REF: DJIBOUTI 564 
 
DJIBOUTI 00000578  001.4 OF 002 
 
 
 ¶1. SUMMARY. Three poultry cases, and one human case of H5N1 
Avian Influenza were confirmed in Djibouti on May 11. The 
Government of Djibouti is actively engaging the international 
community on measures to address this issue, but many 
unknowns still remain. 
 
--------------------- 
WHAT WE KNOW 
--------------------- 
 
¶2. An eight-year old girl in Djibouti has contracted the H5N1 
strain of Avian Influenza, confirmed by NAMRU-3 in Cairo on 
May 11. The Government of Djibouti announced the case on 
national TV and Radio stations. She and her family of 13 are 
living in Damerjog, a small village approximately 15 km south 
of Djibouti city, and is under medical surveillance. Two of 
her siblings are currently exhibiting flu-like symptoms, one 
of whom is undergoing treatment with tamiflu. These sibling 
have been tested, but results are not yet available. The 
family reportedly owns "four or five" chickens. One of the 
chickens appeared to be sick when the family was visited by 
health officials on May 12. A sample was taken from this 
chicken, but results are not yet determined. It is unknown if 
the family had other birds who recently died. 
 
¶3. H5N1 has been confirmed in at least two chickens and one 
turkey in Djibouti city. These chickens were kept on a 
compound owned by the First Lady of Djibouti. The whole 
flock, consisting of at least a dozen birds, was culled. 
Testing among other chickens continues. Humans who worked on 
the compound have been tested, and so far all results are 
negative. There are no large flock or poultry farms in 
Djibouti, but Djiboutian families often own two or three 
chickens. The Government of Djibouti has banned all imports 
of live poultry, and has announced that culling will take 
place. However, the government has not outlined a 
compensation plan for affected citizens. 
 
---------------------- 
WHAT IS BEING DONE 
---------------------- 
 
¶4. The Embassy's Emergency Action Committee convened on May 
¶11. ConOff held a warden meeting on May 14. Embassy-wide 
staff briefings will be held on May 15. The Ambassador will 
host a town hall meeting for all U.S. Citizens in Djibouti on 
May 16. USAID is providing technical support and advising the 
government, as well as monitoring progress. USAID is also in 
close collaboration with partners and donors such as WHO and 
the World Bank on how to best coordinate a combined response. 
The Embassy continues to receive local updates from 
Djiboutian Government officials who hold daily briefings at 
1800 hours. 
 
¶5. Djibouti's Minister of Health called a meeting of the 
donor community on May 14 to announce that the Government of 
Djibouti had developed a budget, and appealed to the 
community for support. The financial request for the 
immediate emergency totaled $4 Million, and included such 
things as tamiflu stock, lab testing materials, logistical 
support for transportation, safety equipment, decontamination 
materials, and money for paying out compensation to families 
who lose chickens to culling. The surveillance system is 
working on a minimal level, which has assisted the government 
to get to this point, but technical support for surveillance 
and sampling is still needed. Djibouti is coordinating with 
neighboring countries, and WHO confirmed that it too is 
working with neighboring WHO offices. The Health Minister 
assured people that although the situation was an emergency, 
it was not catastrophic, and people should proceed with their 
normal routines. The Minister of Health thanked the donor 
community, in particular USAID and the U.S. Military, who 
have aided them in this effort. 
 
---------------------- 
LIMITATIONS 
---------------------- 
 
 
DJIBOUTI 00000578  002.3 OF 002 
 
 
¶6. Although unofficial tests for H5N1 can be done locally at 
the French Military Hospital, the closest level-3 certified 
lab is located at NAMRU-3 in Cairo. Human test samples can 
only be sent through the WHO to Cairo on Tuesday evenings, 
causing a delay in obtaining results in a timely manner. 
There is currently no official method for sending animal 
samples since FAO does not have a presence in Djibouti. 
 
---------------------- 
WHAT WE DON'T KNOW 
---------------------- 
 
¶7. Since all live poultry imports into Djibouti have been 
banned, it is not yet clear how H5N1 developed in Djibouti. 
It is also unclear how the two cases of H5N1 in Djibouti are 
related, if at all. The Government of Djibouti estimates the 
poultry population at 3000 birds, but this number cannot be 
substantiated. 
 
¶8. COMMENT. The Government of Djibouti is a willing partner 
in addressing this issue, but heavily relies on outside 
donors to assist in implementing action and prevention. The 
early recognition, diagnosis, and reporting of H5N1 in 
Djibouti has been possible with the help of foreign 
assistance, including USAID and CJTF-HOA. Overall, the 
Government of Djibouti continues to coordinate its efforts 
with the international community, but there are reports that 
the Minister of Agriculture failed to show up for sampling 
and surveillance runs at the index sites in spite of the 
government's pronouncements. END COMMENT. 
RAGSDALE