VZCZCXYZ0008
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNM #0531/01 1461557
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261557Z MAY 06 ZDK ZEL
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2428
INFO RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 0120
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 0362
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 3307
RUEHBP/AMEMBASSY BAMAKO 0288
RUEHCO/AMEMBASSY COTONOU 1027
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 1752
RUEHPC/AMEMBASSY LOME 2260
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0112
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA 1451
RUEHOU/AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU 8521
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0438
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0224
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 0234
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0271

UNCLAS NIAMEY 000531 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY (CAPTION ADDED) 
 
PLEASE PASS TO USAID LISA CHANDONNET; 
LONDON AND PARIS PLEASE PASS TO AFRICA WATCHERS; 
ROME FOR USUN/ROME 
ACCRA PLEASE PASS TO JATINDER CHEEMA AND KRISTIN COONEY OF 
USAID/WATH; 
OES PLEASE PASS TO JOHN LANGE; 
CA/OCS/ACS/AF PLEASE PASS TO STEVE DONLON AND FALASHADE 
ROBINSON; 
USDA FOR FAS/OA, FAS/DLP, FAS/ICD AND FAS/ITP; 
USDA ALSO FOR APHIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KFLU EAID AMED EAGR TOPEC AIDAC AMGT
SENV, XA, NG 
SUBJECT: NIGER:  MAY 26 AVIAN FLU UPDATE 
 
REF: A. A. NIAMEY 00390 
     ¶B. B. NIAMEY 00292 
     ¶C. C. NIAMEY 00245 
     ¶D. D. NIAMEY 00220 
     ¶E. E. NIAMEY 00184 
     ¶F. F. NIAMEY 00155 
 
¶1.  BEGIN SUMMARY.  A recent bird die off in the area of 
Magaroufa, south of the Nigerien city of Maradi, shows the 
menace of bird flu remains in Niger.  Although the source of 
these bird deaths has yet to be confirmed as the H5N1 strain, 
the presence of H5 was detected locally and samples have been 
sent on to Padua, Italy to verify the presence of H5N1. 
USAID TDYers Dr. Megan Fotheringham and Ms. Beth Krushinske 
were in Niamey this week gathering information regarding 
Nigerien efforts and capacity to respond to AI.  Training on 
reporting AI-related information for Nigerien radio and 
television personalities ended this week, with training for 
journalists to follow.  To date, no human cases of AI have 
been reported n Niger, and the only recent reported bird die 
off is in the area of Magaroufa.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  LARGE BIRD DIE OFF IN MAGAROUFA:  In the Magaroufa area, 
south of the Nigerien city of Maradi, immediately abutting 
the Nigerian border, approximately 500 chickens have died in 
the last two weeks.  Quarantine measures and the interdiction 
of trading in poultry was instituted.  The Niamey Central 
Laboratory for Animal Raising (Laboratoire Central De 
L'Elevage) confirmed the presence of H5 in samples.  These 
samples were flown to Padua, Italy for a further evaluation 
to determine whether H5N1 is present.  Results are expected 
next week.    Some families who ate dead chickens in the 
Magaroufa area had members fall ill.  These individuals were 
treated with antibiotics and seem to be recovering.  At this 
point, there are no indications the source of the human 
malady was AI.  The individuals ate birds that had already 
expired, consequently there is a good chance their sickness 
was due to food poisoning. However, if the bird flesh samples 
sent to Padua test positive for the presence of AI, the 
samples taken from the humans who fell ill will be tested for 
H5N1 by CERMES (Centre de Recherche Medicale et Sanitaire) in 
Niamey.  There is a high suspicion that if AI is confirmed in 
the Magaroufa area, it likely came from Nigeria, as this 
region sits in very close proximity to the border.  It is 
hoped that if AI is confirmed as the source of this latest 
bird die off in Niger the response will be more rapid than 
the approximate two months that were necessary to mount a 
culling operation in Magaria, the last confirmed AI outbreak 
in Niger. 
 
¶3.  MOST OF NIGER SEEMS CALM:  Samples taken from dead birds 
in the regions of Agadez, Diffa and Dosso proved to be 
negative for the presence of AI.  The area of Magaria, where 
the only confirmed bird flu outbreak to date in Niger took 
place, has had its level of surveillance downgraded. 
 
¶4.  RADIO AND TELEVISION AI TRAINING DONE:  Thanks in large 
part to funding from UNICEF, the training of radio 
personalities as well as individuals from Nigerien television 
was completed this past week.  With radio being the most 
prevalent medium in Niger, familiarizing these community 
personalities with AI is of obvious benefit.  The next group 
to receive AI familiarization training will be newspaper 
journalists. 
 
¶5.  USAID TDYERS IN COUNTRY:  Dr. Elizabeth Krushinske and 
Ms. Megan Fotheringham have had a number of meetings with AI 
 
principals in Niger.  Ms. Fotheringham participated in the 
weekly AI conference call with the Department, as well as 
provided an outbrief to Ambassador Allen.  Funding previously 
promised by AID for anti-AI activities in the region of 
Tahoua is expected to be released to FAO soon after Ms. 
Fotheringham and Dr. Krushinske confer with USAID in 
Washington and finalize the FAO proposal submitted to the 
Embassy. 
 
¶6.  STILL NO TAMIFLU:  Niger does not yet have a Tamiflu 
stock.  However, according to a representative of the 
national pharmaceutical company, ONPPC, the delivery date for 
the doses ordered with French Embassy funding has been moved 
up from the initial April 2007 time frame to November 2006. 
 
¶7.  NIGERIEN VETERINARY LABS LACK CAPABILITIES:  The Central 
Laboratory for Animal Raising (Laboratoire Central D'Elevage) 
in Niamey has exhausted its supply of sample collection kits, 
according to the Director.  He said personnel performing 
surveillance in Niger lack the means to accomplish their 
work, due to challenges such as insufficient transport.  The 
AID personnel visiting Niamey noted the lab lacked basic 
diagnostic equipment. Embassy Niamey's DAO office applied for 
three (3) separate grants of $100,000 USD each to provide 
upgrades to the central laboratory in Niamey as well the labs 
in Tahoua and Zinder.  Post's DAO office estimates that a 
response to its request will be received mid-June. 
 
¶8.  UNDP MEETING TO DISCUSS DAKAR CONFERENCE ON AI:  Econoff 
Gage and Ms. Fotheringham attended a UNDP meeting for donors 
in Niamey on Thursday, May 25th.  Considerable time was given 
to discussing the regional UNDP AI meeting in Dakar that 
attracted 13 of 19 invited countries.  At this event Niger 
was selected to discuss humanitarian implications in the 
event of a pandemic.  AI Contingency Plans, developed through 
the discourse offered at the Dakar meeting, will be available 
by May 31, to all the invited countries.  UNDP Niger hopes to 
test the Contingency Plan on July 15.  U.S. (Note: The GON 
has yet to formally endorse the AI plan developed by it own 
Interministerial Committee on Bird Flu.) 
 
¶9.  WORLD BANK FUNDING FOR AI:  The GON received an offer 
from the World Bank (WB) to use credits originally destined 
for a privatization project in the fight against AI.  GON 
resistance to using loans to address AI was strong, as it 
seemed to have misunderstood the WB offer.  According to a WB 
Economist stationed in Niamey, the credits were part of a 
package of aid for which Niger received debt forgiveness. 
Thus, the credits have effectively become grants.  The WB 
economist estimates that up to 2 million USD would be 
available for GON AI activities.  He mentioned that this 
funding could be used for surveillance along the border with 
Nigeria as well as within Niger.  In addition, laboratory 
upgrades and compensation for farmers could be paid from 
these monies.  The WB Economist asked that Embassy Niamey 
encourage a representative of the Prime Minister's cabinet to 
pursue World Bank funding for GON AI initiatives. 
 
ALLEN