VZCZCXYZ0025
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVB #0740 1651300
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141300Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6304
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RHEFAFM/DIR AFMIC FORT DETRICK MD
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA WASHDC

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000740 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO DS/DSS, DS/IP, M/MED/JCTRIPLETT 
FAS/CMP/DLP WETZEL AND MAGGINNIS 
FAS/ITP/EAMED POMEROY AND FLEMING 
CA/OCS/ACS DAVID SCHENSTED 
USAID FOR E&E/ECA/B/ANNE CONVERY 
 
E.O. 12958:    N/A 
TAGS: TBIO SENV ECON EAGR PREL CASC KFLU HR
SUBJECT:  CROATIA AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: JUNE 14 
 
REF: ZAGREB 459 AND PREVIOUS 
 
 
¶1. (SUMMARY) WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN NO NEW REPORTS OF 
AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) IN CROATIA, SCIENTISTS AT THE 
CROATIAN VETERINARY INSTITUTE'S POULTRY CENTER ARE 
USING A NEWLY PURCHASED REAL-TIME PCR MACHINE FOR 
ROUTINE TESTING OF WILD BIRDS. THE CENTER DIRECTOR 
SAID NOW CROATIA IS BETTER PREPARED IN CASE OF 
ANOTHER AI OUTBREAK. THE MACHINE WILL ENABLE 
SCIENTISTS TO TEST FOR AI MORE EFFICIENTLY AND 
QUICKLY, WITH LESS DANGER OF EXPOSURE TO THE VIRUS 
BY THE CENTER STAFF. IT WILL ALSO ALLOW THE CENTER 
TO TAKE A MORE PROACTIVE APPROACH IN TESTING FOR THE 
VIRUS. (END SUMMARY) 
 
¶2. DR. VLADIMIR SAVIC, DIRECTOR OF THE POULTRY 
CENTER OF THE CROATIAN VETERINARY INSTITUTE, SHOWED 
ECONOFFS THE NEW REAL-TIME POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION 
(PCR) MACHINE AT THE CENTER. ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE 
BEEN NO NEW REPORTED CASES OF AI IN CROATIA SINCE 
LATE MARCH, SAVIC HAS BEEN RUNNING SAMPLES ON THE 
NEW MACHINE SINCE IT WAS SET UP JUNE 7 TO CALIBRATE 
THE EQUIPMENT. 
 
¶3. SAVIC SAID CURRENTLY THE CENTER IS CONDUCTING 
PASSIVE MONITORING, TESTING DEAD BIRDS AS THEY ARE 
REPORTED. ABOUT 50 DEAD BIRDS ARE REPORTED DAILY 
WITH A VARIETY OF CAUSES OF MORTALITY. IN THE FALL, 
SCIENTISTS PLAN TO CONDUCT ACTIVE MONITORING AT 
CRITICAL LOCATIONS SUCH AS LAKES, FISHPONDS AND 
OTHER HABITATS OF BIRDS LIKELY TO CARRY THE VIRUS. 
SAVIC SAID THEY PLAN TO CATCH 2,300 WILD BIRDS AND 
RELEASE THEM AFTER TESTING. HE CRITICIZED A PRESS 
REPORT THAT INACCURATELY SAID THE CENTER PLANNED TO 
KILL 2,300 BIRDS. 
 
¶4. After the recent outbreak in Romania, Savic 
traveled there to meet Romanian scientists battling 
AI in poultry. He said he doesn't expect any impact 
in Croatia because the virus is not being found in 
wild birds, only poultry, which is not crossing the 
border. Savic believes that human mishandling of 
infected poultry was more likely the cause of the 
Romanian outbreak than wild birds. 
 
¶5. SAVIC NOTED THAT HE WAS ALSO ASKED TO GIVE A 
BRIEFING ON CROATIA'S HANDLING OF THE AVIAN 
INFLUENZA INCIDENTS TO CROATIAN MILITARY OFFICIALS 
WHO WILL PARTICIPATE IN MILITARY EXERCISES IN 
UKRAINE IN SEPTEMBER. 
 
FRANK