VZCZCXRO0011
OO RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHCI #0028 0241344
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 241344Z JAN 08
FM AMCONSUL KOLKATA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1845
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE USD FAS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON PRIORITY 0380
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 2256

UNCLAS KOLKATA 000028 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PLEASE PASS HHS AND CDC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU EAGR TBIO CASC AMED SENV IN
SUBJECT: AI IN WEST BENGAL SITREP - 9:  JANUARY 24:  NO NEW DISTRICTS 
REPORT AI INFECTION 
 
REF: A)  KOLKATA 0027   B)  KOLKATA 0026   C)  KOLKATA 0024  AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  On January 24, for the first time in several 
days no new districts in West Bengal, beyond the present nine, 
reported cases of AI infection.  The Kolkata city government 
implemented measures to block poultry from entering the city. 
However, no restriction on poultry consumption was imposed.  In 
the rural areas, authorities continued with their culling, 
albeit at a slower than planned rate.  This largest of India's 
H5N1 outbreaks so far will have a serious adverse impact on the 
economic condition in West Bengal's poor rural communities.  No 
new districts reporting AI is a positive turn, which may give 
the GOWB an opportunity to better manage the AI outbreak if the 
lull persists.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) With the H5N1 virus appearing at Balagarh (Hugli 
district), approximately 50 miles from Kolkata, the state Animal 
Resource Department (ARD) alerted Kolkata's municipal 
authorities to monitor AI in the city.  Roads leading into the 
city are being watched in an attempt to prevent poultry from 
affected areas entering Kolkata.  The Kolkata Municipal 
Corporation (KMC) has inspected major poultry markets but has 
not issued any advisory curbing poultry consumption. 
 
¶3. (U) In a positive turn, on January 24, there was no report of 
H5N1 virus spreading to new areas in West Bengal beyond the 
presently affected nine districts.  Culling teams have started 
to fan out to more rural villages, but culling figures are still 
way below the GOWB's 2.2 million in seven days target.  ARD 
teams have arrived in Cooch Behar in North Bengal, which 
reported the presence of H5N1 on January 23.  However, culling 
will not start until January 25.  Kolkata's National Institute 
of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED) laboratory has received 
no/no additional human samples beyond the five samples that 
tested H5N1 negative/negative on January 23. 
 
¶4. (U) On the basis of confirmed cases, this AI outbreak is the 
largest of the outbreaks in India so far.  Nine districts in W. 
Bengal are affected:  an area totaling nearly 36,476 sq. km and 
requiring the projected culling of at least 2.2 million birds. 
In comparison, the Maharashtra outbreak (February 2006) involved 
culling 1.3 million birds over 16,700 sq. km and the Manipur 
outbreak (July, 2007) involved culling 90,000 birds over 315 sq. 
km. 
 
¶5. (U) Even as ARD officials cope with the immediate culling 
challenges, killing at least 2.2 million poultry will cause a 
severe blow to West Bengal's rural economy.  For example, in the 
nine affected blocks of Birbhum district, 40 percent of the 1.5 
million people live below the poverty line - on less than two 
dollars a day.  Backyard poultries, often organized through 
women's self-help groups, are used to generate additional income 
for such families.  A typical backyard poultry would raise 10-20 
chickens, earning an additional Rs 2,000 (USD 50) per year for 
the family.   Under the GOWB compensation scheme, of only Rs. 30 
for broiler and Rs. 40 for laying chicken, these women are now 
left with a one-time payment of Rs. 800 or approximately USD 20. 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Comment:  No new W. Bengal districts reporting 
confirmed cases of AI is a positive turn in the outbreak.  Over 
the past week, AI infections were reported in new districts 
daily.  If this lull in infections persists, GOWB officials may 
be able to begin managing the outbreak.  The GOI appears to be 
helping address some of the initial organizational problems in 
the culling, such as providing additional manpower from other 
states to support the culling teams, providing more protective 
equipment and helping to some extent with increasing awareness. 
However, some fundamental problems do persist:  the number of 
culling teams is still not sufficient for the culling targets, 
villagers are still unwilling in areas to cooperate and the are 
unhappy with the level of compensation, and public awareness or 
understanding about the risks of AI is still relatively low. 
 
JARDINE