VZCZCXYZ0022
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJA #2545/01 2861046
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131046Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1250
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
INFO RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFIUU/BUMED WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 7382
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0009
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 1948

UNCLAS JAKARTA 012545 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/IET, MED/DASHO/EMR AND MED 
DEPT FOR G/AIAG AND OES 
DEPT PASS TO USDA/FAS/DLP/HWETZEL AND FAS/ICD/LAIDIG 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO USDA/FAS/FAA/DYOUNG AND USDA/APHIS/ANNELLI 
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 
BANGKOK FOR APHIS/CARDENAS, RMO, CDC, USAID/RDM/A 
CANBERRA FOR APHIS/EDWARDS 
ROME FOR FAO 
NSC FOR JMELINE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO AMED CASC EAGR AMGT PGOV ID KFLU
SUBJECT: INDONESIA - OCTOBER 12 AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) UPDATE 
 
REF: A) Jakarta 11582    B) Jakarta 12253 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary. On October 6, Dr. Ir Anton Apryanto, Minister 
of Agriculture promised Manho So, Food and Agriculture 
Organization (FAO) Representative more vigorous coordination and 
communication in controlling AI.  Local press reported on October 
10 that faculty from Udayana University detected avian influenza 
virus in pigs in Bali last July.  On October 10, NAMRU-2 
confirmed H5N1 virus in a 67 year-old female from Bandung.  As of 
October 12, NAMRU-2 data reflect 70 confirmed cases with 52 
fatalities.  End Summary. 
 
FAO Meets with Minister of Agriculture 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Manho So, FAO Representative to Indonesia met with Dr. 
Ir Anton Apriyanto, Minister of Agriculture on October 6 to 
discuss the need for more high level engagement by the Ministry 
on avian influenza control.  According to the FAO, Apriyantono 
agreed to: 
 
--establish a steering committee that would be charged with 
ensuring that critical issues related to the agricultural 
response to AI are being addressed effectively. The Minister 
agreed to chair the committee which would bring together high 
level Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) staff with FAO and other 
interested parties. 
 
--appoint Jim McGrane (new FAO team leader on AI in Indonesia) as 
his Special Advisor on AI.  This will ensure that FAO will have 
regular and direct access to the Minister. 
 
--hold more press conferences on the Ministry of Agriculture 
(MOA) response to AI to keep the public and international 
community more fully informed. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Sources additionally report that the MOA will launch a 
$1 million, 80-day media public relations campaign on AI after 
the October 24-25 Idul Fitri holiday period.  However, it is 
unclear how effective the campaign will be since the MOA has not 
done formative research or coordinated the campaign with other 
stakeholders.  In addition, the MOA has no plans to evaluate or 
analyze the effectiveness of the campaign. 
 
Bird Flu Virus Reportedly Found in Pigs in Bali 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶4. (U) On October 10, Indonesian press reported that the H5N1 
bird flu virus has infected pigs in Bali.  According to the 
press, a team from the veterinary faculty at Udayana University 
had discovered avian influenza infected two pigs in the regencies 
of Gianyar and Tabanan in Bali during their investigations in 
July.  The University team had not yet submitted their official 
report but had relayed findings to the Ministry of Agriculture. 
The FAO is investigating this report and will relay their 
findings to us as soon as possible.  The Ministry of Agriculture 
and Indonesian university researchers have announced positive 
results for H5N1 antibodies from pig specimens in the past, and 
NAMRU-2 and the US CDC have previously identified infection in 
swine from Tangerang.  The FAO has informed us that the 
laboratory capacity for testing pig samples is limited in 
Indonesia and that false positive results are common. 
International laboratories have not confirmed the recent swine 
results. 
 
NAMRU-2 Human AI Case Profile 
------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) NAMRU-2 reports one new critically ill case of human 
H5N1 infection for October, a 67 year-old female from Bandung. 
The patient had contact with dying poultry.  Investigation into 
the case is continuing. The case is of clinical interest because 
the patient's signs and symptoms-including renal insufficiency 
and encephalitis-have not been reported in most previous 
instances.  A secondary infection has not been ruled out. 
 
¶6. (SBU) NAMRU-2 data indicates the following AI-related case 
profile as of October 12: 
 
-- Number of laboratory confirmed (positive PCR and/or serology) 
human AI cases: 70, of which 52 have been fatal (case fatality 
rate of 74 percent). 
 
-- Number of probable AI cases 3, of which 2 are fatal (case 
fatality rate of 67%). 
 
-- Number of cases awaiting analysis at the U.S. CDC: 2. 
 
-- Number of possible untested AI cases under investigation (last 
30 days): approximately 31. 
 
Note: NAMRU-2 data corresponds with MOH data but may vary at 
times with AI case figures presented on the official World Health 
Organization (WHO) website, which usually lags NAMRU-2 data by 
one week.  The WHO website, last updated on October 3, notes 69 
human AI cases in Indonesia with 52 deaths.  WHO figures can be 
accessed at www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza. 
 
PASCOE