VZCZCXRO9577
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
DE RUEHHI #0452/01 0671108
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081108Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4853
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 2723
RUEHZS/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 3102
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5661
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 1121
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0791
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0294
RUEHSUN/USUN ROME IT
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 1479
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//USDP/ISA/AP//
RHMFISS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC//J2/J3/J5//
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC//DHO-3//
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J00/J2/J3/J5//
RHEFAFM/DIRAFMIC FT DETRICK MD//MA-1A//

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000452 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AIAG, EAP/MLS, EAP/EP, INR, OES/IHA, MED 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR ANE AND GH 
STATE PASS TO HHS/OGHA (WSTIEGER, DBELL AND ABHAT) 
STATE PASS TO CDC (NCOX AND AMOHEN) 
USDA PASS TO APHIS 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (LSTERN) 
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID (JMACARTHUR AND MBRADY) 
ROME FOR FAO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KFLU AMED AMGT CASC EAGR PINR SOCI VM
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE - POULTRY OUTBREAK IN HANOI 
 
REF: HANOI 373 AND PREVIOUS 
 
HANOI 00000452  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  Vietnam has experienced four poultry outbreaks 
since February 13.  The Government of Vietnam (GVN) has now 
confirmed that H5N1 was the cause of two poultry outbreaks on farms 
in one of Hanoi's rural communes.  Earlier this week, a poultry 
outbreak occurred at a farm in Ha Tay Province, located directly 
west of Hanoi.  On February 27, northern Vietnam's first poultry 
outbreak in 2007 occurred in Hai Duong province, east of Hanoi 
(reftel).  An outbreak of 800 ducks occurred in Vinh Long Province 
in the Mekong Delta on March 1.  On March 5, the Ministry of 
Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) announced new regulations 
on the hatching and breeding water fowl.  According to MARD's 
regulations, breeding can resume on March 15.  MARD has sent a 
technical team to support the Government of Laos to help contain AI. 
 Embassy Hanoi MEDOFF visited Vientiane this week to offer support 
to the Embassy community.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) There have been no confirmed H5N1 AI human cases in Vietnam 
this year and none reported in 2006. 
 
Two More Poultry Outbreaks In North - Including Hanoi 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶3. (U) On March 7, the Department of Animal Health (DAH) and state 
media reported that 1,300 chickens died on two farms in Kim Chung 
commune, Dong Anh District of Hanoi on March 4.  Roughly 1,150 of 
these birds had symptoms of H5N1.  According to CNN, several chicks 
died suddenly on two farms in the rural district of Dong Anh on 
Sunday. Hoang Gia Tuc, director of the District's animal health 
station, reports that authorities have slaughtered the remaining 
1,950 chicks.  None of the chicks, aged 10 to 20 days old, were 
vaccinated. 
 
¶4. (U) On March 5, Ha Tay provincial authorities announced that 
chickens on a farm in Cang Nau Commune located 20 kilometers 
southwest of Hanoi died of unknown causes and that all of the farm's 
550 chickens were culled on February 27.  H5N1 was later confirmed 
to be the cause of death in the flock 550 unvaccinated chickens. 
Officials contend that Hay Tay Province is the largest poultry 
supplier to Hanoi. 
 
¶5. (U) Last week, northern Vietnam's first poultry outbreak occurred 
in Hai Duong province, east of Hanoi (reftel).  According to FAO, 
DAH received reports on February 27 of AI in a chicken farm in Doan 
Tung Commune, Thanh Mien District in Hai Duong Province.  The flock 
of 10,500 chickens were also unvaccinated.  The onset date was 
February 14.  A total of 6,000 chickens died.  The farm's operations 
were "high-risk" as poultry from many sources were being gathered 
together to sell to the market.  Laboratory confirmation was made by 
Hai Phong Veterinary Center on February 18 and reconfirmed by the 
National Center for Veterinary Diagnostics in Hanoi on February 23. 
Notably, neither Ha Tay nor Hai Duong Provinces witnessed AI poultry 
outbreaks in 2006.  A separate potential H5N1 poultry die-off in 
Quang Ninh Province, which borders China, has yet to be confirmed. 
 
New Poultry Outbreak In Mekong Delta 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶6. (U) After the successful containment of H5N1 poultry outbreaks 
throughout the Mekong Delta, a new outbreak occurred in Vinh Long 
Province on March 1.  The 800 infected and previously unvaccinated 
ducklings were reportedly transported from Soc Trang Province to Tra 
On District, Vinh Long Province.  As standard procedure after a 
 
HANOI 00000452  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
poultry outbreak, all poultry on-site were culled and the farm has 
been decontaminated. 
 
MARD Lifts Ban on Hatching and Breeding Waterfowl 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶7. (U) On March 5, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development 
(MARD) announced new regulations on the hatching and breeding water 
fowl.  According to MARD's regulations, breeding can resume on March 
¶15.  The new regulations stipulate certain sanitary conditions as a 
prerequisite for the resumption of commercial breeding (reftel). 
 
...And Helps Neighboring Laos 
----------------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) MARD has reportedly sent a technical delegation to Laos to 
support the Government of Laos's efforts to control AI poultry 
outbreaks in three of the country's seventeen provinces and provide 
surveillance training to health authorities following Laos' second 
confirmed H5N1 human death. 
 
Hanoi MEDOff Supports Embassy Vientiane 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (U) From March 5 to 7, Embassy's MEDOff traveled to support 
Embassy Vientiane.  MEDOff participated in an EAC meeting, conducted 
an open forum for Embassy Laos staff, families and the head of the 
international school, and had consultations with CDC Country 
Representative.  During the visit to Embassy Vientiane, MEDOff 
administered 12 flu vaccinations to staff. 
 
MARINE