VZCZCXRO8377
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHGO #0203/01 0580527
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 270527Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY RANGOON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5772
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1333
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0190
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 4479
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1918
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 3761
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 7286
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 4848
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 1058
RUDKIA/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 0872
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 RANGOON 000203 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; USDA FOR FAS/PECAD, FAS/CNMP, FAS/AAD; 
BANGKOK FOR USAID/RDMA: JMACARTHUR, APHIS: NCARDENAS, REO: 
JWALLER; PACOM FOR FPA 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR EAID AMED PGOV CASC TBIO KLFU BM
SUBJECT: AI UPDATE: USAID/FAO VISITORS REVIEW BURMA EFFORTS 
 
REF: A) 06 RANGOON 1776, B) RANGOON 1679 
 
RANGOON 00000203  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: Burma has not reported any new cases of AI 
since it contained a March-April 2006 outbreak in poultry 
in Mandalay and Sagaing Divisions through extensive 
culling.  Recent sero surveillance detected AI antibodies 
in ducks in Mandalay and Bago Divisions, but examination by 
GOB, USAID and FAO specialists showed levels below those 
set by OIE, and further tests proved negative.  FAO's 
Regional Avian Influenza advisor carried samples from 
Mandalay to Thailand for testing, but said she was 
confident that the poultry does not have H5N1.  Visitors 
from FAO and USAID RDMA in Bangkok reported improved 
monitoring and continued cooperation and transparency from 
GOB health/veterinary contacts, but expressed concern about 
poor lab infrastructure, inadequate skills training, lack 
of AI awareness in rural areas, and the continued 
commingling of poultry with humans and other livestock in 
many parts of the country.  End summary. 
 
Good News: Duck Follow-Up Tests Negative 
---------------------------------------- 
¶2. (SBU) GOB officials provided useful updates on AI 
efforts in Burma during the February 12 - 17 visits of 
USAID Infectious Diseases Team Leader, Dr. John MacArthur, 
USAID Animal Health Advisor Dr. Sudarat Damrongwatanapokin, 
and FAO Regional AI Advisor Dr. Wantanee Kalpradith.  The 
GOB requested FAO assistance to evaluate samples collected 
from ducks that tested positive for H5N1 during regular 
sero surveillance in Mandalay and Bago Divisions.  Dr. 
Sudarat worked closely with Livestock Breeding and 
Veterinary (LBVD) officials in their lab and made a field 
trip to Bago to investigate further. 
 
¶3. (SBU) On February 14, Dr. Sudarat told Charge that the 
levels of AI antibodies in the samples were below the OIE 
cutoff for a positive results, which signaled that the 
ducks could have been exposed to the disease during the 
2006 outbreak or that the test was detecting a non-H5 sub- 
type of avian influenza.  In other samples that met the OIE 
criteria for a positive test, LBVD laboratory analysis did 
not detect any virus.  Dr. Sudarat expressed confidence 
that the ducks do not have AI, based on the lack of 
clinical signs associated with both the ducks and 
neighboring chickens.  On February 15, FAO carried 
additional samples from ducks in Mandalay to the Department 
of Animal Health in Bangkok for further evaluation. 
 
Facing Inadequacies 
------------------- 
¶4. (SBU) Dr. Sudarat praised the level of GOB openness and 
transparency that she and the FAO team found during their 
latest visit.  She also noted that officials observed good 
protocol in handling the specimens and showed the benefit 
of previous training.  She added, however, that, in many 
areas, official capabilities are still inadequate, 
including poor quality of labs, unreliable power supply, 
inconsistent results, and inadequate skills training. 
 
¶5. (U) In a February 14 meeting led by LBVD Director 
General, Dr. Maung Maung Nyunt, Dr. Suadarat made the 
following recommendations to address some of Burma's 
inadequacies: create an inventory list of lab supplies; 
collect at least 60 samples from each flock; provide more 
regular electric power to labs; follow international 
standards for testing; increase reliance on sero 
surveillance; provide more training for staff; monitor egg 
age for virus isolation; increase surveillance in wetlands; 
concentrate more surveillance in high risk areas; and 
expand H5N1 testing to quail, if possible. The DG added 
other areas of concern, including the negative effect of 
quail egg exports to India, which he claimed reached up to 
 
RANGOON 00000203  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
1 million eggs a day; problems reaching many remote areas, 
including a jade mining town of 300,000 which he called a 
"hidden city;" lack of funding for a livestock compensation 
program; and the relatively small number of international 
donors. 
 
¶6. (U) According to the DG, GOB current priorities are: 
strict biosecurity on farms, reducing range of birds, 
reduced contact with live bird markets, disease monitoring 
and reporting, and open information exchange. 
 
But Progress in Assistance to Farmers 
------------------------------------- 
¶7. (U) In a formal presentation and lively discussion with 
Drs. MacArthur, Sudarat and emboffs, the DG claimed the GOB 
had made a great deal of progress in its response to AI. 
He noted the ongoing sero surveillance conducted at village 
homes, farms, markets, hatcheries, and wild bird 
sanctuaries.  He described new programs to reduce the 
impact on farmers affected by extensive culling during the 
outbreak.  These include the allocation of 93 acres in 
Sagaing Division for "Livestock Zones," outside of village 
limits, where farmers with at least 500 chickens received 
free leases, telephone connections, tube wells, subsidized 
electricity, and day old chicks to restock their flocks. 
LBVD has already distributed to farmers almost 100,000 
chicks out of a target total of almost 264,000.  Farmers 
unaffected by the earlier culling also can build farms in 
the Livestock Zones, but must pay for the lease and 
services provided. 
 
¶8. (U) In addition, according to the DG, the Livestock and 
Fisheries Development Bank has begun to offer loans to 
farmers at the concessional annual rate of 17% (less than 
half the current market rate in Burma), renewable yearly. 
He noted that these loans, in contrast to regular loans, do 
not need to be secured by immovable property.  The DG said 
the GOB also provided some farmers with cell phone permits 
which they could then resell at a profit.  The DG 
emphasized that these efforts were not a compensation plan 
for the farmers, but "in-kind help" and "restocking" to 
mitigate damage.  The GOB cannot afford to replicate this 
plan in the future, he said, because few international 
donors had offered support. 
 
¶9. (U) Dr. MacArthur suggested expanding LBVD's Livestock 
Zones to include farms of 200 chickens or more, noting that 
the outbreak primarily affected farms with 200-500 
chickens.  He also encouraged LBVD to learn whether farmers 
thought the current government support provided enough 
incentive for them to report any future outbreak.  He also 
mentioned that two LBVD laboratory technicians could 
receive one month of funded AI training at Thailand's 
National Institute of Animal Health and encouraged LBVD to 
pursue this. 
 
¶10. (U) The government has upgraded lab facilities, the DG 
reported, and now has three labs, in Rangoon, Mandalay and 
Taunggyi, that can perform serology testing for AI. 
According to the DG, the GOB will also build a central 
testing lab near Mandalay in 2008.  Dr. Sudarat offered to 
provide guidance on lab construction, based on Thai 
experience. 
 
How Widespread Is AI Awareness? 
------------------------------- 
¶11. (U) According to the DG, awareness of the potential 
threat of AI is now widespread among the people, including 
farmers.  He credited publicity sponsored by the GOB, JICA, 
FAO, AusAID, UNICEF, and WHO.  Every Township has organized 
a team with members of the local poultry association, 
General Administration officials and other local 
 
RANGOON 00000203  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
authorities, police, municipal authorities, government 
veterinarians and health officials.  He also noted that 
USDA (the regime's political mass member organization) 
members, Special Branch officers, and police investigators 
work with local authorities to ensure regular reporting. 
The DG cited recent official reporting and swift response 
to the death of five sparrows in Chin State as an example 
of countrywide awareness. 
 
¶12. (SBU) WHO officials confirmed that township 
coordinating teams are in operation, but noted that on 
their trips around the country, they have observed few 
public notices or signs warning about AI, even in high risk 
areas close to Rangoon, such as Moyingyi wetlands in Bago 
Division.  The WHO Country Representative, Prof. Adik 
Wibowo, expressed concern about the low level of awareness 
around the country.  She told us that her AI Team has 
worked primarily with central government and 
state/division-level officials, and will soon begin to 
focus on more communication and coordination with township, 
district, and village authorities as well. 
 
Hospital Upgrades, Training and Communications 
--------------------------------------------- - 
¶13. (SBU) At WHO, Professor Wibowo informed Dr. MacArthur 
that the Japanese Trust Fund plans to provide $98,000 to 
finance infrastructure renovations, to include isolation 
wards and new ventilation systems, at each of the two 
hospitals designated as primary AI care facilities, Waibagi 
and Kandunadi.  Wibowo said the Ministry of Health agreed 
to upgrade facilities at seven state/division hospitals. 
WHO hopes to use World Bank Trust Fund money for these 
projects, she said.  WHO also plans to conduct training and 
capacity building for AI detection and reporting at all 17 
state/division hospitals and recently concluded training of 
Rapid Response Teams at the state/division level.  WHO will 
now move to township-level training for early AI warning 
systems. 
 
¶14. (SBU) Wibowo said she has open, regular communication 
on AI with Ministry of Health authorities.  She told us 
that Ministry of Health officials immediately informed her 
about the positive results from sero sampling of ducks, 
although she had not previously heard about the sparrows in 
Chin State.  On February 21, Ministry of Health contacts 
also told her about 15 crows found dead in Rangoon 
Division, which tested positive for an H-type virus, but 
negative for H5N1.  The Ministry of Health and LBVD 
conducted an investigation, including at the local wet 
market, and sent samples to Bangkok for further 
examination. 
 
Foreign Assistance Put to Use 
----------------------------- 
¶15. (U) At FAO, Country Representative Tang Zhengping told 
Dr. MacArthur that FAO's USAID-funded activities will begin 
in March 2007, and will end by October.  FAO has hired six 
national consultants and placed an FAO veterinarian at LBVD 
(reftels).  He said that the World Bank had agreed to 
provide $1.3 million to FAO. 
 
¶16. (U) At UNICEF, Communication Officer Susan Aitkin 
informed us that the Japanese Trust Fund (JTF) had extended 
its $2.1 million Public Awareness/Risk Communication grant 
deadline from March 2007 to March 2008.  Aitkin described 
the working group for public awareness messages, which 
includes the Ministry of Health, LBVD, international NGOs, 
FAO, and WHO.  The Minister of Health exercises final 
approval and all partners will use communally developed 
materials.  On February 23, UNICEF delivered the first 
posters and pamphlets funded by the JTF grant to the GOB 
for distribution through LBVD and Health Department offices 
 
RANGOON 00000203  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
in all townships. 
 
¶17. (U) Dr. MacArthur and emboff visited the Central 
Epidemiology Unit (CEU) of the Ministry of Health to 
observe CEU storage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 
units.  Twenty-five units were stored in the CEU's meeting 
room; however, since the CEU will soon relocate to Nay Pyi 
Taw, the GOB plans to move the PPEs to another location in 
Rangoon to remain close to epidemiologic investigation 
teams based here. 
 
¶18. (SBU) All IOs and INGOs praised the GOB's coordination, 
cooperation, and openness with the international community 
on AI.  Government officials reported immediately the 
questionable blood test results found during routine 
surveillance and requested outside assistance without 
delay.  USAID and FAO visitors and post's APHIS employee 
were given access to laboratories and officials promptly. 
The response to sparrows that died in Chin State - alerting 
authorities, isolating the birds and area, conducting post 
mortem examinations and making final notifications - 
followed all recommended procedures. 
 
¶19. (SBU) Comment: Despite modest resources, the GOB has 
implemented AI surveillance, awareness, and reporting 
programs broadly and quickly.  The regime has long 
experience dictating orders from the center, tasking 
relevant officials, as well as security officials, to 
ensure compliance and reporting.  However, its track record 
is weak with regard to ensuring accurate information gets 
transmitted back up the chain.  It also does not usually 
explain why its orders must be followed, so 
internationally-supported education campaigns will be 
needed to inform villagers why precautions must be taken to 
minimize the threat of AI.  In addition, regular visits by 
UN agencies and international donors at local levels can 
provide confirmation that accurate information is getting 
reported back up the chain.  End comment. 
 
¶20. (U) Dr. John MacArthur cleared this cable. 
VILLAROSA