VZCZCXRO1492
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHGO #0324/01 0920956
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 020956Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY RANGOON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5913
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1383
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0243
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 4517
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 3812
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 7338
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 4890
RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 0078
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA 1093
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 1108
RUDKIA/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 0938
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000324 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, G/AIAG; 
PACOM FOR FPA; 
USDA FOR FAS/PECAD, FAS/CNMP, FAS/AAD, APHIS; 
BANGKOK FOR USAID:JMACARTHUR, APHIS:NCARDENAS, REO:JWALLER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2016 
TAGS: EAGR EAID AMED PGOV PREL CASC TBIO KFLU BM
SUBJECT: BURMA'S AI OUTBREAK IN POULTRY CONTINUES 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 315 
 
     ¶B. RANGOON 304 AND PREVIOUS 
 
RANGOON 00000324  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Econoff TLManlowe for Reasons 1.4 (b, d) 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: The GOB confirmed AI was responsible for 600 
poultry deaths at another chicken farm in Rangoon Division on 
March 28-30.  Officials destroyed all remaining poultry and 
utensils on the affected farm in Mingaladon Township and, as 
a precautionary measure, at three nearby farms.  Officials 
have not yet identified the source of the virus, and have 
reported no suspected human cases.  End summary. 
 
Official Response 
----------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Burmese officials reported that on March 28-30, 929 
chickens, out of 1500 total, died at a farm about 18 miles 
north of Rangoon city in Mingaladon Township in Rangoon 
District.  PCR tests performed on samples from the dead birds 
were positive for H5N1.  The Livestock Breeding and 
Veterinary Department (LBVD) culled all remaining birds, as 
well as from 1,000 to 3,000 chickens from each of three 
nearby private farms.  LBVD cullers incinerated all poultry 
and utensils from these farms. The farms are on the busy road 
linking Rangoon with the major poultry-producing areas of 
Hmaw Bi and Bago.  The March 10-11 AI outbreak also occurred 
in this township. 
 
¶3. (U) The recent poultry deaths are the latest in a series 
of AI outbreaks in Rangoon Division, which began during the 
last week of February. Officials have not identified the 
source of the virus, and have reported no suspected human 
cases.  This is the first time that authorities also 
destroyed utensils and supplies, such as egg trays and 
feedbags, along with poultry.  LBVD reported the outbreak to 
OIE, and authorities continue to enforce the 1km/6km 
restricted and control zones around the affected farms. 
Graduate students from the University of Veterinary Science 
in Pyinmana have joined LBVD surveillance and culling teams 
in Rangoon.  According to press reports, GOB Minister of 
Health Dr. Kyaw Myint agreed to draft a plan for cross border 
cooperation in the prevention of bird flu with Thai Minister 
of Public Health Dr. Mongkol Na Songkla at the fifth 
Burma-Thailand Health Cooperation Ministerial Meeting on 
March 31. 
 
Private Reaction 
---------------- 
 
¶4. (C) On March 29, private poultry producer Jonathan Gunawan 
told econoff that he disagreed with the GOB practice of 
culling only at affected and nearby farms.  LBVD has defended 
this practice by insisting the more aggressive policy of 
killing all poultry within one kilometer, credited for 
halting last year's outbreak in Mandalay and Sagaing 
Divisions, was too harmful to poultry producers and overall 
food security.  Gunawan, Managing Director of JAPFA Maykha 
Services, Burma's second largest foreign poultry producer, 
said Burma had been lucky that the current outbreak hadn't 
spread more quickly and widely. 
 
¶5. (C) Gunawan expressed frustration at the GOB's lack of 
resources to educate and inform farmers around the country on 
good biosecurity practices.  JAPFA provides training to all 
its farmers, as well as the owners of neighboring farms. 
Even simple strategies, such as installing a disinfectant 
footbath at the entrance of each farm, would make a huge 
difference, he said, but LBVD does not have the money to 
 
RANGOON 00000324  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
reach out to many farmers in rural areas.  Gunawan noted that 
he had good cooperation and communication with LBVD, the 
Livestock Federation, and FAO. 
 
¶6. (C) Gunawan said the drop in consumer demand for chicken 
after last year's outbreak caused his company to close its 
Mandalay branch, which left CP the only foreign poultry 
company there.  The current outbreak had already cut in half 
the profit he earned last year, and if it continued for one 
more month, he expected his entire profit from 2006 would be 
lost.  Gunawan said JAPFA continued to sell its products, but 
at a loss, to Burmese customers.  His customers who can 
afford to pay higher prices for better quality, including 
foreigners and restaurants, had stopped buying chicken. 
Contacts tell us that the supply of chicken in the market is 
still good, and that prices have stabilized near customary 
levels. 
VILLAROSA