VZCZCXRO3038
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHVN #0004/01 0020956
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 020956Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1726
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2229
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 0332
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1045
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0151
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0253
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0132
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1221
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0226
RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 0608
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7803
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0621
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 0149
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 VIENTIANE 000004 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR G/AIAG (AMB LANG, PATTERSON, SUMMERS) 
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS (BESTIC) 
DEPT FOR CA/OCS/ACS/EAP 
DEPT FOR EAP/EX 
DEPT FOR EAP/EP 
DEPT FOR INR 
DEPT FOR OES/STC (BATES) 
DEPT FOR OES/IHA (SINGER, COMELLA) 
DEPT FOR MED 
DEPT FOR H 
 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR ANE AND GH (CARROLL, CLEMENTS, JENNINGS) 
 
STATE PASS TO USTR (BISBEE) 
 
STATE PASS TO HHS/OGHA (WSTEIGER, ELVANDER, ABHAT) 
 
CDC FOR NANCY COX 
CDC FOR ANN MOEN 
CDC FOR TONY MOUNTS 
 
USDA WASHINGTON DC PASS TO APHIS 
 
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISA/AP (STERN, SHUBERT) 
 
BANGKOK FOR RMO 
BANGKOK FOR USAID (MACARTHUR, BOWES) 
BANGKOK FOR USDA/APHIS (CARDENAS) 
BANGKOK FOR USCDC (MALONEY, ZIMMERMAN) 
 
HANOI FOR DAVID DENNIS 
 
PHNOM PENH FOR WILLIAM BRADY 
 
ROME FOR FAO 
 
USPACOM FOR FPA CHRISTIE 
USPACOM FOR PACAF/SGZ (CINCO, PALMER) 
USPACOM FOR J-52 (LACY) 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KFLU KPAO SOCI ECON SCUL PREL AMED AMGT CASC
EAGR, EAID, ETRD, MASS, LA 
SUBJECT: Avian Influenza Update 
 
REFS: A) 07 VIENTIANE 0705  B) 07 VIENTIANE 0625 
 
VIENTIANE 00000004  001.2 OF 006 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  There have been no new cases of avian influenza in 
humans or birds since the February-March 2007 outbreak.  Progress in 
enhancing the GOL's laboratory diagnostic capacity continues.  The 
GOL has reiterated its commitment to sharing viral isolates.  A 
PACOM-supported training exercise in August brought the Lao military 
into AI planning or the first time.  Another session, again 
facilitated by PACOM, will be held on January 14-18.  A 
UN-coordinated AI planning exercise, long stalled due to turf 
battles, finally took place in December.  CDC has been involved in 
numerous other initiatives, including private sector engagement, an 
AI hot line, poultry safety workshops, and donation of more than 
6000 sets of protective gear.  USDA/APHIS, in partnership with CDC, 
is conducting veterinary training.  End summary. 
 
No New Cases 
------------ 
 
¶2. (U) No H5N1 human cases or bird/poultry outbreaks have occurred 
since February/March 2007.  Nevertheless, vigilance continues given 
regional findings, including the first human case recognition in 
neighboring Burma. 
 
Enhancing Local Capacity 
------------------------ 
 
¶3. (U) Considerable progress has been made in advancing laboratory 
diagnostic capabilities at the National Center for Laboratory and 
Epidemiology (NCLE).  There have also been improvements to 
Influenza-like Illness (ILI) surveillance efforts, taking into 
account recommendations from the U.S. CDC-WHO Lao Collaboration 
 
VIENTIANE 00000004  002.2 OF 006 
 
 
Surveillance Assessment held October 2007. 
 
¶4. (U) The enhancement of cell culture diagnostic capacity through 
improved bio-safety enhancements is underway, supported by the U.S. 
CDC-WHO Lao Collaboration in cooperation with Pasteur Institute. 
This is a prerequisite for NCLE's designation by the WHO as a 
National Influenza Center (NIC).  Additionally, significant changes 
to ILI surveillance strategy are being implemented to better capture 
suspected and probable human H5N1 cases, again based on the October 
2007 Assessment findings.  Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction 
(PCR), stood up with assistance from NAMRU-2 Jakarta, is now used to 
complement Reverse Transcriptate-PCR findings, used in the detection 
of the first two human cases in Laos during the February/March 2007 
outbreak.  (Note: These are two different diagnostic technologies. 
End note.) 
 
Sharing of Viral Isolates 
------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) In December 2007, the Government of Laos (GOL) reaffirmed its 
commitment to the National Institute for Infectious Diseases (NIID) 
Tokyo, via U.S. CDC Laos, that it would share influenza viral 
isolates and data with the U.S. CDC Atlanta.  The GOL originally 
made this commitment in a letter to the U.S. CDC Laos AI Coordinator 
in August 2007 (Ref A).  NIID failed to respond to the August 2007 
letter but has since acknowledged this December 2007 directive from 
the GOL. 
 
Military Cooperation 
-------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Planning is underway for an Avian and Pandemic Influenza 
 
VIENTIANE 00000004  003.2 OF 006 
 
 
Rapid Response Training Workshop, to be held on January 14-18, 2008. 
 In December, representatives from the Pacific Air Force Office of 
International Health Affairs, Honolulu (PACAF SGZ), COL John Cinco 
and MAJ Wesley Palmer, held planning sessions in Vientiane with UN 
and GOL stakeholders, including LTC Dr. Chanthaphone Oudomsouk, 
Chief of Disease Prevention Division, Medical Department, Ministry 
of National Defense (MND), and LTC Dr. Xaysaveng Phommatha, Director 
General, Institute of Disease Prevention, MND).  The National Avian 
and Human Influenza Coordinating Office (NAHICO), which coordinates 
AI activities under the authority of the GOL's Prime Minister's 
Office, will host the session, with significant assistance from the 
Embassy.  This initiative builds on momentum gained from a 
PACOM-supported Avian Influenza Table Top Exercise Workshop, held on 
August 2-3, 2007. The purpose of that workshop was to elevate the 
role of the Lao Military in contributing to National AI response and 
containment efforts (Ref B).  In addition, military and health 
officials took part in AI training hosted by PACOM's Center for 
Excellence in Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance Studies. 
 
 
Planning Exercises 
------------------ 
 
¶7. (U) The U.S. CDC-WHO Lao Collaboration sponsored a series of 
Pandemic Planning activities intended to promote the planning 
process, culminating in a PANSTOP Exercise in December 2007.  This 
effort had been stalled, in large part due to conflicting approaches 
within the UN organization including differences between the WHO and 
the UN AI Coordinating Office, Laos.  The participation of Dr. Mark 
Keim of US CDC in Atlanta at this forum should lead to future 
opportunities to take better advantage of unique U.S. CDC expertise 
and experience in facilitating the pandemic planning process in 
 
VIENTIANE 00000004  004.2 OF 006 
 
 
Laos.  Planning activities since October 2007 have focused on 
organizing various departments in the Ministry of Health, in order 
to promote planning in other sectors. 
 
Engagement with NGOs and Private Sector 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) The U.S. CDC Laos is cooperating with the Keenen Institute 
Bangkok, supported by USAID, to engage the Lao private sector in 
contributing to AI promotional and educational efforts.  A workshop 
forum organized by NAHICO will bring together Information Education 
Committee (IEC) partners to better appreciate the advantages of 
working with the private sector.  This forum will be held in 
Vientiane on January 11, 2008. 
 
¶9. (U) The NAHICO "hotline" supported by the U.S. CDC-WHO Laos 
Collaboration in partnership with CARE INTERNATIONAL/Laos and the UN 
AI Coordinating Office became functional in December 2007.  Software 
programming design is in progress to allow for ongoing evaluations 
of the system in facilitating AI communications and reporting. 
 
¶10. (U) Care International/Laos, with support from the U.S. CDC, 
will be conducting a Safe Poultry Practices Workshop in Laos' 
Sayabouri Province on January 9-11, 2008.  Assistance will be 
provided by the USDA/APHIS in-country Representative, a Lao 
national, working under the U.S. CDC banner.  This activity is part 
of a larger U.S. CDC-CARE effort to improve AI surveillance and 
reporting in remote highland ethnic communities.  A similar type of 
workshop focused on Live Birds and Wet Markets was carried out by 
Care International/Laos in November 2007 with support from USAID/Abt 
Associates, with U.S. CDC (and USDA-APHIS) Lao participation. 
 
 
VIENTIANE 00000004  005.2 OF 006 
 
 
Protective Equipment 
-------------------- 
 
¶11. (U) On November 27, 2007, the U.S. Embassy provided 6,000 sets 
of personal protective equipment (PPE) from the U.S. CDC to the 
Ministry of Health's National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology 
(NCLE) to help ensure the safety and well-being of rapid responders 
and laboratory personnel while combating the threat of Pandemic 
Avian and Human Influenza.  Dr. Chanthanom Manodham, Director of the 
Cabinet of the Ministry of Health (MOH), accepted the donation for 
the GOL.  An additional 4000 units of PPE have been received from 
USAID Washington and will be distributed to the National Center for 
Animal Health, MOH, and the Lao Military in January 2008. 
 
Veterinary Training 
------------------- 
 
¶12. (U) USDA/APHIS, working with U.S. CDC Lao assistance and under 
the U.S. CDC Lao banner, provided support for 11 Lao Veterinary 
laboratory staff to attend two two-week regional training workshops 
in Vietnam in November and December 2007.  The goal of these 
workshops was better cooperation between Lao and Vietnamese 
laboratory veterinary specialists.  The U.S. CDC AI Coordinator and 
USDA/APHIS Lao Representative met subsequently with the returning 
Lao staff members along with Dr. Bounlom, Director of the National 
Center for Animal Health, to build on the training momentum in 
developing a National Veterinary AI Testing Protocol.  This Protocol 
is designed to standardize procedures and force clear determination 
with regard to the type of testing to be carried out at national, 
provincial, and district levels and the types of equipment, 
training, and supervision required to do so.  Monthly meetings will 
now be conducted during 2008 to formulate the details of this plan. 
 
VIENTIANE 00000004  006.2 OF 006 
 
 
 
 
MCGEEHAN