VZCZCXRO5061
PP RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHCI #0111 0981155
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 071155Z APR 08
FM AMCONSUL KOLKATA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1951
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE USD FAS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0097
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME 0025
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 2383

UNCLAS KOLKATA 000111 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PLS PASS HHS, CDC, AND APHIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU EAGR SENV TBIO PGOV AMED CASC ECON IN
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA SPREADS TO TRIPURA AND NEW AREAS IN WEST 
BENGAL 
 
REF: KOLKATA 105 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: On April 6, the Northeast Indian state of 
Tripura confirmed an outbreak of avian influenza in three 
villages close to the India-Bangladesh border.  In West Bengal, 
the H5N1 virus appeared in an administrative block in Nadia 
district.  Experts told post that the West Bengal government was 
"going easy" on its AI response due to upcoming rural elections. 
 END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) On April 6 evening, the High Security Animal Disease 
Laboratory in Bhopal confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus in 
the northeast state of Tripura.  Tripura borders Bangladesh on 
the East.  The virus was found in samples sent from the 
Mohanpur, Malaya and Tilagang villages of the Dhalai 
administrative district.  These villages are located on the 
India-Bangladesh border, about 90 miles Northeast of Tripura's 
capital city of Agartala.  The Tripura government had sent the 
samples for testing after about 3,000 poultry died over the past 
seven days. 
 
¶3. (U) On April 7 Tripura's Animal Resource Development (ARD) 
Department issued the official notification announcing the 
presence of the virus, and identified areas where culling will 
start.  About 20,000 poultry and ducks will be culled within a 3 
mile radius.  The culling radius will include eight village 
council areas, including the three villages from where samples 
tested positive. 
 
¶4. (U) Tripura's government has set up 200 Rapid Response Teams. 
 Government contacts told post that there was an initial 
shortage of Tamiflu, but that on April 7 the government received 
a sufficient supply of Tamiflu and other hardware from the GOI 
to begin culling and other response measures. 
 
¶5. (U) On April 5 the H5N1 virus also appeared in West Bengal's 
Ranaghat-2 administrative block in Nadia district.  Culling is 
expected to begin on April 7.  A state poultry farm is located 
within the 3 mile culling radius in the block. 
 
¶6. (U) According to media reports, the GOI has asked West 
Bengal's ARD Department to provide cages to poultry owners for 
rearing backyard poultry, but state ARD officials say this idea 
is a non-starter.  Each village raises between 5,000 and 7,000 
poultry in domestic backyard operations.  One West Bengal ARD 
official observed, "The state has no time, resource and people 
to implement this recommendation." 
 
¶7. (U) COMMENT: The H5N1 virus has found its way to Tripura 
poultry stock despite a statewide ban on poultry and eggs from 
West Bengal, and though no one has publicly stated it, there is 
suspicion that the virus crossed into the state from Bangladesh. 
 The next few days will indicate if cullers in Tripura face the 
kind of resistance they did in West Bengal.  A member of the 
GOI's monitoring team in West Bengal blamed incomplete culling 
for the resurfacing of the H5N1 virus in the state.  As the GOWB 
gears up for local elections in early May, it does not want to 
be seen as vigorously pushing culling -- and jeopardizing the 
livelihoods of thousands of rural villagers -- before the polls 
take place.  Given such political considerations, W. Bengal will 
probably continue to see sporadic H5N1 episodes. 
 
SURAMPUDI