VZCZCXRO1672
PP RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHPA
DE RUEHUJA #1387/01 1590615
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 080615Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5948
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RHFMISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME 0003
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP/ASD-HD//
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001387 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
USDA FOR FAS/OA, FAS/DLP, FAS/ICD AND FAS/ITP 
USDA FOR APHIS 
USDA FOR WAYNE MOLSTAD/OSEC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KFLU EAID AMED EAGR NI AVIANFLU
SUBJECT: JUNE 8 NIGERIA AVIAN FLU UPDATE 
 
REF:  ABUJA 1359 
 
ABUJA 00001387  001.2 OF 002 
 
¶1. (U) Summary.  On May 25 the Ambassador handed over to the 
Nigerian minister of agriculture a representation of anti-AI 
commodities, including equipment and disinfectant, worth 
more than 46 million naira (about $360,000).  The 
agriculture minister said Nigeria had paid 1.7 million naira 
(almost $13,300) in compensation to poultry farmers.  The 
media reported May 20 that more than 450,000 birds in 
Nigeria so far were culled as a preventive measure.  The 
U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and USAID 
carried out in Lokoja GPS training for 43 veterinary 
officers, and training for 12 veterinarians in GIS spatial 
epidemiology.  USAID organized a visit of two laboratory 
experts from the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit to 
evaluate five Nigerian laboratories' capability to assist in 
the human or animal surveillance of AI.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Economic counselor and economic officer met on May 
23 with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) 
Nigeria representative.  The FAO official said the 
Government of Nigeria (GON) had agreed to the creation of a 
joint GON-FAO avian influenza (AI) information center, which 
would collect and disseminate AI-related information 
produced through joint human- and animal-disease 
surveillance.  The GON earlier opposed a joint center, to 
better control information about AI.  The FAO official 
termed Nigeria's failure to pay compensation to affected 
poultry farmers the main failing of its anti-AI campaign. 
He said the GON's overall AI strategy "is bad, and the 
implementation is even worse." 
 
U.S. Assistance to Nigeria 
-------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) On May 25 the Ambassador handed over to the Nigerian 
minister of agriculture, in front of the Agriculture 
Ministry, a representation of anti-AI commodities, including 
equipment and disinfectant, worth more than 46 million naira 
(about $360,000).  In his speech, the minister of 
agriculture acknowledged that AI would affect Nigeria "for a 
long time."  He said the GON had so far paid 1.7 million 
naira (almost $13,300) in compensation to poultry farmers. 
The media reported May 20 that more than 450,000 birds in 
Nigeria so far were culled as a preventive measure. 
(Comment:  The free-ranging roosters crowing 40 feet away 
while the minister of agriculture spoke help illustrate the 
challenge Nigeria faces in combating AI.  End comment.) 
 
¶4. (U) In May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal 
and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and USAID 
carried out in Lokoja two days of training in using global 
positioning systems (GPS).  Forty-three veterinary officers, 
from all states in Nigeria, strengthened their ability to 
use GPS in animal-surveillance work.  The training was 
geared toward using Garmin Legend GPS units provided by 
USAID and older GPS units provided by the GON.  The students 
were taught how to use standardized settings to collect and 
record appropriate coordinates and readings.  The correct 
and regular use of GPS units, in conjunction with 
establishing a network for data collection, will assist the 
GON in locating, tracking, and targeting disease outbreaks, 
farms, and other points of interest.  The trainers found 
that Nigerian veterinarians need additional GPS units to 
efficiently map disease outbreaks, as well as fuel and 
transportation to keep technical personnel working in the 
field. 
 
¶5. (U) APHIS trained at Lokoja 12 veterinarians -- 10 GON 
veterinarians from the Pan-African Program for the Control 
of Epizootics and two from the FAO -- for one week on 
geographic information systems (GIS) spatial epidemiology. 
They received instruction in using the ArcView GIS program, 
which will allow epidemiologists to better analyze the 
spread of AI while permitting better disease-control 
strategies.  The trainers concluded that ArcView GIS 
software should be purchased for use in GON epidemiologists' 
desktop and laptop computers.  Laptops are necessary for 
epidemiologists working in the field and also have the 
 
ABUJA 00001387  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
advantage of operating on batteries, in recognition of 
Nigeria's erratic electricity supply. 
 
¶6. (U) USAID/Nigeria organized a visit of two laboratory 
experts from the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) in 
Cairo to evaluate five Nigerian laboratories' capability to 
assist in the human or animal surveillance of AI.  The 
experts' visit to Nigeria ended June 2.  Embassy Abuja will 
address in septel the NAMRU experts' evaluation of Nigerian 
laboratories. 
 
Proposed FAO Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶7. (U) The GON's chief veterinary officer told the 
agricultural attache on May 24 that the MOA would devote 
more time to field work than to meetings in Abuja, in 
recognition of the MOA's limited staff and capabilities. 
The MOA was creating a new unit within the Department of 
Livestock to focus on animal-health issues such as AI.  The 
new unit was being created to carry out the GON/FAO's 
proposed animal-surveillance project, which could be funded 
by the FAO, USAID, and the European Union.  The project, if 
funded, would be known as the FAO Emergency Center for 
Transboundary Animal Diseases. 
FUREY