VZCZCXRO3946
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #8621/01 1911144
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 101144Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7001
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY
INFO RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFIUU/BUMED WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 9708
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0909
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 1899
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 1826
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 2156
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3513
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 0092
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0248

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 008621 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/IET, A/MED AND S/ES-O 
DEPT FOR G/AIAG/JLANGE AND RFENDRICK 
DEPT FOR OES/FO, OES/EID, OES/PCI, OES/STC AND OES/IHA 
DEPT PASS TO USDA/FAS/DLP/HWETZEL AND FAS/ICD/PETTRIE 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO USDA/FAS/FAA/DYOUNG AND USDA/APHIS 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO USAID/ANE/CLEMENTS AND GH/CARROLL 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/WSTEIGER/ABHAT/MSTLOUIS AND HHS/NIH 
PARIS FOR FAS/AG MINISTER COUNSELOR 
CANBERRA FOR APHIS 
ROME FOR FAO 
NSC FOR JMELINE 
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID/RDM/A, APHIS/CARDENAS 
BEIJING FOR APHIS/GREENE 
USPACOM ALSO PASS TO J07 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO AMED CASC EAGR AMGT PGOV ID KFLU
SUBJECT: INDONESIA - JULY 10 AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) UPDATE 
 
REF: A) Jakarta 8259 and previous 
 
JAKARTA 00008621  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary. Singaporean Embassy contacts expressed 
openness to revising key elements in the Singapore-Indonesia- 
U.S. Tangerang pilot project during a June 29 meeting with 
U.S. officials.  The Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) 
office in Jakarta has received reports from a reputable 
private sector poultry analyst indicating a "massive" AI 
outbreak among chicken populations in Sukabumi, West Java. 
The Indonesian television program "Channel 4 News" featured 
a story on July 4 showing a new FAO program that sends 
workers to interview villagers to identify sites with 
unreported cases of avian influenza among birds.  Embassy 
Jakarta has approved an NSDD-38 request from the U.S. Animal 
and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to open an 
office in Indonesia including direct hire and local 
personnel. The Mission's Naval Medical Research Center 
(NAMRU-2) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) have identified 
probable H5N1 infection in a three-year old girl from 
Tangerang who died on July 6. End Summary. 
 
Tangerang Follow-up with Embassy Singapore 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) Dr. Michael St. Louis, International Influenza Unit 
Director at the Department of Health and Human Services 
(HHS), APHIS Poultry Disease Specialist Cheryl Hall, and new 
ESTH Officer Colette Marcellin met Singapore Embassy DCM Lim 
Hong Huai on June 29 to discuss follow-up on the Tangerang 
pilot project.  Huai said the Government of Singapore (GOS) 
perceives that the Government of Indonesia (GOI) is 
reluctant to pursue the Tangerang pilot project for two 
reasons.  First, the GOI's is reluctant to finalize a letter 
of intent due to concerns about ownership of the 
intellectual property rights (IPR) of any inventions that 
might flow out of the project as well as the recognition of 
Indonesian scientists.  The second involves sensitivities 
concerning the participation and status of NAMRU-2.  In 
response, we advised Huai that the GOI's concerns about IPR 
issues deriving from the Tangerang project may be overrated. 
We also emphasized the central role NAMRU-2 plays in the 
Mission's response to AI in Indonesia and the importance of 
including it as part of the U.S. contribution to the 
trilateral. 
 
¶3. (SBU) We noted the current trilateral project proposal 
emphasizes human health over animal health at a 3-to-1 
funding ratio.  This is very likely a misallocation of 
resources given the magnitude of the AI threat in the animal 
sector, and should be reversed.  Noting Singapore's lack of 
an agricultural sector, Huai explained that the GOS's 
proposed contribution focused on the human health side but 
noted Singapore is "open to changes" and requested that the 
Embassy provide a concrete starting plan for control of H5N1 
in avian populations in Tangerang.  Representatives from 
APHIS and FAO met on July 6 to begin drafting this document. 
 
¶4. (SBU) We also advised that Indonesia and Singapore 
 
JAKARTA 00008621  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
consider expanding the target area for the trilateral to 
include the entire district (kabupaten) of Tangerang given 
the minimal presence of poultry in the much smaller 
municipality (kota) of Tangerang.  We suggested that a site 
visit by a combination of technical experts and local 
political leaders to poultry-raising areas of the district 
would be helpful in specifying an appropriate target area 
for the project as well as an implementation plan.  Huai 
expressed willingness to work closely with Embassy to 
expedite planning of the project. 
 
Major Outbreak Among Poultry in Sukabumi, West Java 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) office in 
Jakarta has received sketchy reports from a reputable 
private sector poultry analyst about a "massive" AI outbreak 
in Sukabumi, West Java, over the past three weeks.  The 
outbreak reportedly occurred in Sectors 1, 2, and 3, 
(breeder, layer and broiler farms).  When we contacted them 
for confirmation, Ministry of Agriculture officials noted 
that DINAS (district level) agriculture officials had not 
reported the outbreak but that the private sector had 
informed the Ministry.  As a result, Ministry staff claimed 
to have no official details on the outbreak.  They said 
cooperation with the larger poultry companies is poor, and 
that DINAS officials are not provided access to large-scale 
poultry producing facilities, thereby limiting the ability 
of the Ministry to understand what is happening on the 
ground through official channels. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The GOI apparently has not yet notified the 
International Epizootics Organization (OIE) of the outbreak, 
as is required of members.  Officials at the national AI 
coordinating office have also not received notification of 
the outbreak. 
 
FAO Program Filmed During Outbreak 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶7. (U) The Indonesian television program "Channel 4 News" 
carried a feature on July 4 showing a new FAO program that 
sends workers to interview villagers in areas with 
unreported cases of avian influenza in birds.  Upon entering 
the village, the British film team ITV and FAO workers 
encountered large numbers of sick and dead birds from an 
area where cases had not been reported.  The film was a 
graphic demonstration of the potential value of expanded, 
village-level surveillance programs in Indonesia. 
 
Establishment of APHIS Office 
------------------------------ 
 
¶8. (U) Embassy Jakarta has approved a NSDD-38 request from 
APHIS to open an office in Jakarta to include one direct 
hire, two local veterinarians, one local agricultural 
scientist, and one local administrative assistant for a 
total of five personnel. 
 
JAKARTA 00008621  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
Human AI Case Profile 
--------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) On July 7, NAMRU-2 and MOH tests indicated probable 
H5N1 infection in a three-year old girl from Tangerang who 
died on July 6 at Cipto Mangunkusomo Hospital in Jakarta. 
NAMRU-2 data indicates the following AI-related case profile 
as of July 10: 
 
-- Number of laboratory confirmed (positive PCR and/or 
serology) human AI cases: 54, of which 42 have been fatal 
(case fatality rate of 78 percent). 
 
-- Number of probable AI cases: 5, with 3 deaths (fatality 
rate of 60 percent). 
 
-- Number of cases awaiting verification by the US CDC: 2. 
 
-- Number of possible AI cases under investigation (last 30 
days): approximately 8. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Note: NAMRU-2 data correspond with Ministry of 
Health data but may vary at times with AI case figures 
presented on the official World Health Organization (WHO) 
website, which usually lag NAMRU-2 data by one week.  The 
WHO website (last updated on July 4) currently notes 52 
human AI cases to date in Indonesia with 40 deaths. WHO 
figures can be accessed at 
www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza. 
 
Pascoe