VZCZCXYZ0012
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAM #3177 2071418
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261418Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9651
INFO RUEHDOI/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHDC
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 5309
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3289
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0684
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 4547
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 3649
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 1803
RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH 0771

UNCLAS AMMAN 003177 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ELA AND NEA/RA - LAWSON 
STATE FOR OES/PCI - SALZBERG AND BLAINE 
STATE PASS USAID 
USAID FOR MILLER AND DEELY AND ANE 
CAIRO FOR USAID - BARTH 
CAIRO FOR AGCONUS KURZ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EAID PGOV EAGR JO
SUBJECT:  HUNDREDS ILL FROM NONFATAL, WATERBORNE PARASITE IN MAFRAQ; 
RUMORS ABOUND OF MINISTERIAL RESIGNATIONS 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Protect accordingly. 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary:  Approximately 900 residents in Jordan's northern 
Mafraq Governorate were recently infected by a nonfatal parasite 
found in their water tanks.  Prime Minister Bakhit formed a 
committee headed by Minister of Health Kharabsheh to investigate the 
causes of the diarrhea and high fever that sent so many to local 
hospitals in recent weeks.  The GOJ determined that a worn out water 
supply network was at fault, and ordered its immediate replacement. 
Critics blame the Water and Health Ministers for poor preventative 
maintenance and a slow reaction to the crisis.  Rumors abound that 
both may resign.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) In the past two weeks, approximately 900 people from two 
villages in the Mafraq Governorate in northeastern Jordan suffered 
from acute diarrhea and high fevers following the contamination of 
their water tanks.  According to a report prepared by an 
investigative team established by Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit and 
comprising researchers from the Royal Scientific Society, the Jordan 
University for Science and Technology, and the Amman-based WHO 
Center for Environment Activities, lab tests revealed the presence 
of the nonfatal parasite cryptosporidium.  This parasite, first 
discovered in the late 1970's, infects humans and a wide range of 
domestic and wild animals. Health Minister Saad Kharabsheh told 
English daily The Jordan Times that the cryptosporidium 
contamination resulted from a "faulty 8-inch water pipe feeding 
households in the Mafraq area [that] led to the formation of a pond 
that was later contaminated by animal dung." 
 
¶3.  (U) PM Bakhit instructed the Ministry of Water and Irrigation to 
examine the different options available to sterilize the water and 
to ensure that it is free from any harmful bacteria.  Replacement of 
the water supply network had been delayed due to a lack of funding. 
PM Bakhit called for its immediate replacement which will cost 
approximately 1 million JD ($1.41M).  Note:  USAID is supporting a 
contract for local engineering firm Engicon to conduct a detailed 
design, tendering process, and environmental assessment that will 
result in a significant upgrade, including new filtering system and 
storage tanks for the Mafraq Wastewater Treatment Plant.  This 
contract is scheduled to last nine months.  The construction will be 
under a Host Country Contract with 85% USAID funding; the total 
USAID budget for the project is $8 million.  Construction should 
last about 15 months.  The improved wastewater treatment plant would 
not have prevented the cryptosporidium infection that occurred.  End 
Note. 
 
¶4.  (U) Residents of the infected areas continue to question both 
the cause of the problem and the proposed solution.  They remain 
skeptical that the contamination came from a potable water source. 
They also claim that the numbers of cases exceed the figures 
announced by the GOJ. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Comment:  The GOJ's performance in reaction to this crisis 
has not been judged favorably, particularly by Mafraq residents. 
Officials are clearly sensitive to public sentiment, and PM Bakhit 
traveled to the affected area on July 17, taking with him Water 
Minister Zafer Al Alem who cut short a meeting with visiting NEA 
Senior Advisor for Science and Technology Lawson.  Rumors abound 
that both the Health and Water Ministers might resign, which could 
also lead to a larger government reshuffle.  When asked for his 
views on the current debacle, former Minister of Water and 
Irrigation Hatem Halawani commented to EconCouns that incidents of 
contamination were common and occurred worldwide.  He did not 
consider the Mafraq incident to be indicative of larger problems. 
When asked why the issue continued to dominate the press, he 
lamented that Jordanians love conspiracy theories and said the water 
minister always presents an easy target.  End Comment. 
 
Visit Amman's Classified Website at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman 
 
HALE