VZCZCXRO1810
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #8955/01 1990940
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 180940Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7377
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 9735
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0912
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 1902
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 1829
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 2161
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3532
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 0096
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0251

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 008955 
 
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 18 AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) UPDATE 
 
REF: A) Jakarta 8621 and previous 
 
     B) Jakarta 8794 
 
JAKARTA 00008955  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary. As of July 18, data from the Mission's 
Naval Medical Research Center (NAMRU-2) and the Ministry of 
Health (MOH) show 43 confirmed deaths from Avian Influenza. 
Once the WHO posts laboratory confirmation results on its 
website, Indonesia should overtake Vietnam for the world 
lead in human AI fatalities, likely sparking another wave of 
negative press coverage.  The Minister of Agriculture fired 
Director for Animal Health Dr. Sjamsul Bahri on July 12 for 
"poor performance" in the control of AI, and the Ministry 
named Dr. Musny Suatmodjo from the West Java provincial sub 
office of Animal Health to replace him the next day.  In the 
past two weeks, the Ambassador has raised AI in separate 
meetings with Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Presidential 
Advisor Dino Djalal, and Minister of Agriculture Anton 
Apriyantono.  The Indonesian Veterinarians Association 
(PDHI) criticized the GOI for allowing provinces to vary 
their approaches to handling AI during its July 11-13 
national congress.  End Summary. 
 
Change of Leadership at Ministry of Agriculture 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On July 12, Agriculture Minister Apriyantono 
replaced Dr. Sjamsul Bahri as Director of Animal Health 
because of "poor performance" in the campaign against the 
spread of AI among animal populations.  The Ministry of 
Agriculture (MOA) inaugurated Dr. Musny Suatmodjo to replace 
Bahri on July 13.  Suatmodjo is the former head of the West 
Java provincial sub office of Animal Health, and is not well 
known among our AI contacts.  Bahri will remain in the MOA 
but will now be in charge of breeding development for 
livestock and poultry. 
 
Diplomatic Efforts on AI Continue 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) During the past two weeks, the Ambassador has 
raised the importance of strengthening Indonesia's AI 
response in meetings with Vice President Jusuf Kalla on July 
5, Presidential Advisor Dino Djalal on July 6, and Minister 
of Agriculture Anton Apriyantono on July 12. In each of the 
meetings, the Ambassador noted the rising level of concern 
from U.S. and international experts regarding the apparent 
inability of Indonesia to contain the virus in its poultry 
sector.  Kalla and Djalal were both well briefed on the 
issue and took note of the Ambassador's remarks; Apriyantono 
was less well informed and noted incorrectly that the June 
21-23 "Technical Review and International Expert 
Consultation Meeting" in Jakarta had concluded Indonesia is 
"on the right track" (ref B). 
 
Indonesian Veterinarians Criticize GOI 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) The Indonesian Veterinarians Association (PDHI) 
 
JAKARTA 00008955  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
criticized the GOI for allowing provinces to vary their 
approaches for handling avian influenza during its 15th 
national congress, held July 11-13. PDHI Chairman Budi Tri 
Akso reportedly told reporters on July 11 that "such a 
variety of approaches has proven to be ineffective because 
it allowed the virus to reemerge in regions that already 
culled their sick chickens." The PDHI recommended that the 
government use the more than 10,000 veterinarians in the 
country to help eradicate H5N1 infection in the nation's 
provinces before it evolves into a form that can be 
transmissible between humans.  However, a senior Ministry of 
Agriculture official rejected the PHDI's statements and 
argued that the GOI developed standard procedures to deal 
with bird flu in 2003, although manuals describing the 
procedures were not printed until a few months ago. 
 
Human AI Case Profile 
--------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) On 16 July, NAMRU-2 and MOH tests indicated 
probable H5N1 infection in a 43 year-old male from East 
Jakarta who died on July 12 at Budi Asih Hosptital. 
Additionally, the US CDC has confirmed H5N1 infection in a 
three year-old girl who died in Tangerang last week.  With 
the death of the 43 year-old male, NAMRU-2 and MOH data now 
show 43 confirmed or probable AI deaths in Indonesia since 
July 2005.  Once the WHO or CDC posts laboratory 
confirmations on their websites, Indonesia should overtake 
Vietnam for the world lead in human AI fatalities, likely 
sparking another wave of negative press coverage.  On July 
17, the English language daily carried a front-page article 
noting Indonesia would soon pass Vietnam and criticizing the 
GOI's performance on AI. 
 
¶6. (SBU) NAMRU-2 data indicates the following AI-related 
case profile as of July 17: 
 
-- Number of laboratory confirmed (positive PCR and/or 
serology) human AI cases: 55, of which 43 have been fatal 
(case fatality rate of 78 percent). 
 
-- Number of probable AI cases (awaiting WHO Laboratory 
confirmation): 5, with 3 deaths (fatality rate of 60 
percent). 
 
-- Number of cases awaiting verification by the US CDC: 1. 
 
-- Number of possible AI untested cases under investigation 
(last 30 days): approximately 10. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Note: NAMRU-2 data correspond with Ministry of 
Health data but may vary at times with AI case figures 
presented on the official WHO website, which usually lag 
NAMRU-2 data by one week.  The WHO website (last updated on 
July 14) currently notes 53 human AI cases to date in 
Indonesia with 41 deaths. WHO figures can be accessed at 
www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza. 
 
 
JAKARTA 00008955  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
Pascoe