VZCZCXRO1688
OO RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1709/01 1990809
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 180809Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3755
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001709 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W 
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AFR/SP 
NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, AND FAS 
USMISSION UN ROME 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
NAIROBI FOR SFO 
NSC FOR JBRAUSE, NSC/AFRICA FOR TSHORTLEY 
USUN FOR TMALY 
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI KFLU SU
SUBJECT:  SUDAN ? AVIAN FLU UPDATE 9 ? JULY 17 
 
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Summary 
-------- 
 
¶1.  On July 2, 2006, the U.N. Food and Agriculture 
Organization (FAO) convened a meeting of the Technical 
Task Force on Avian Influenza (AI) in Khartoum. 
Following a three-week period during which no cases were 
reported, on July 12, FAO reported a new outbreak of AI 
in Khartoum State.  Planning for the upcoming AI 
vaccination campaign is ongoing.  The committee formed 
to address issues related to the economic impact of AI 
estimates that compensation of affected farmers will be 
approximately USD 10 million.  The release of the joint 
proposal of FAO, the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF), and 
the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) on actions 
needed to mitigate and contain the AI outbreak has been 
delayed by nearly two months.   End summary. 
 
--------------- 
Outbreak Update 
--------------- 
 
¶2.  At the July 2 AI Task Force meeting in Khartoum, FAO 
reported that no new cases had been reported in the 
previous three weeks.  On July 12, however, FAO reported 
that a new outbreak had been detected on a farm in 
Khartoum State on July 6:  4,500 birds have since died 
or been culled.  AI outbreaks in Sudan appear to follow 
a pattern similar to the Nigerian case, wherein after a 
three-to-four week quiet period another outbreak starts. 
According to FAO, epidemiological investigation is 
required to determine possible factors for why the new 
outbreaks are occurring.  Possible reasons include among 
others, changes in feed, the introduction of new 
poultry, worker movements, and visits by wild birds. 
The AI Task Force has stressed the need for sustaining 
and improving AI surveillance activities.  The Task 
Force also recommends that samples be taken from people 
who were in contact with the infected birds, including 
the farm workers, the farm owner, and culling team. 
More than 241 farms in Sudan are presently affected by 
AI. 
 
¶3.  Preparations are ongoing for the poultry vaccination 
program to be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture 
Khartoum State, in collaboration with the Federal 
Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries and the 
Federal Veterinary Laboratory.  Priority will be given 
for breeders, then layers, and then broilers followed by 
backyard poultry.  Three breeder farms in Sudan have 
already been identified, and sampling for the farms has 
been carried out by a committee with technical support 
from the USAID/USDA consultant seconded to FAO. 
 
¶4.  The committee formed and assigned to study issues 
related to the economic impact of AI on the poultry 
industry in Sudan estimates compensation costs for 
farmers at USD 10 million.  The compensation includes 
funds to account for lost stock and to reestablish the 
poultry industry in the affected states. 
 
------------ 
Coordination 
------------ 
 
¶5.  No representative from the Ministry of Health 
attended the July 2 Task Force meeting.  The Task Force 
assigned WHO to contact the Ministry of Health to obtain 
more information about the status of AI in humans and 
stressed the need to monitor the status of poultry 
workers, particularly those on AI-affected farms. 
 
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Contributions 
------------- 
 
¶6.  The revised joint FAO/UNICEF/WHO proposal on AI 
outbreak containment and mitigation activities has not 
yet been presented to donors.  The proposal has been 
delayed nearly two months due to ongoing consultations 
among the relevant UN agencies? headquarters.  FAO has 
 
KHARTOUM 00001709  002 OF 002 
 
 
allocated USD 250,000 for the AI control program in 
Sudan, and USAID has provided FAO USD 200,000, to date. 
USAID-donated personal protective equipment (PPE) has 
arrived in Khartoum for distribution according to a plan 
developed by FAO, in consultation with the Federal 
Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries and approved 
by the AI Task Force. 
 
-------------------------- 
South Sudan - Preparedness 
-------------------------- 
 
¶7. The USAID/USDA consultant seconded to FAO visited 
Juba from June 22 to 26, 2006.  During this trip, the 
USAID/OFDA consultant provided an update about the AI 
situation in Northern Sudan and conducted training for 
eight staff at the Juba Veterinary Laboratory.  This 
training included instruction on using PPE; packing and 
labeling specimens; taking blood and swabs 
(cloacal/tracheal) from live chickens; performing 
postmortem examinations to show anatomy; and determining 
the type of tissue that must be submitted for a 
diagnosis of AI.  The USAID/USDA consultant also met 
with the South Sudan Task Force which consists of high- 
level WHO, UNICEF, FAO, Ministry of Health, and Ministry 
of Animal Resources and Fisheries officials. 
 
STEINFELD