VZCZCXRO3198
PP RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHCI #0298 2981014
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 241014Z OCT 08
FM AMCONSUL KOLKATA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2170
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0114
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 2654

UNCLAS KOLKATA 000298 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USDA FOR DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY/ETERPSTRA 
USDA FOR OFSO/JDEYER 
USDA FOR FAS/OA/MYOST/WKMILLER 
USDA FOR FAS/OCRA/CALEXANDER/JCARVER 
USDA FOR FAS/OSTA/CHAMILTON 
USDA FOR APHIS/MFLEMINGS/TBURLESON 
SEOUL FOR APHIS/GEORGE ANDY BALL 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA/PB, EB/TPP, AIAG HREED-ROWE 
NEW DELHI FOR FAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU EAGR ECON TBIO SENV PGOV PREL IN BG
SUBJECT: TRIPURA GOVERNMENT ON ALERT AFTER CHICKENS DIE IN 
BANGLADESH 
 
REF: A. KOLKATA 111 
     ¶B. KOLKATA 128 
     ¶C. DHAKA 1061 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: The Tripura and West Bengal state governments are on 
heightened alert to respond to an H5N1 avian influenza outbreak, 
given the recent outbreaks in Bangladesh. To date, authorities 
have not detected any incidents of H5N1 infection in Tripura or 
West Bengal in the past three months. If the Bangladesh outbreak 
does spread to Tripura and West Bengal, it is uncertain if the 
India-Bangladesh joint combat mechanism will be effective to 
combat an outbreak. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. On October 19, 2008, the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) 
reported that H5N1 Avian Influenza (AI) virus had been detected 
in Bangladesh district of Naogaon (Reftel C). This district is 
located close to West Bengal's Malda, Murshidabad and South 
Dinajpur districts. A week later, media reported unusual poultry 
mortality in Bangladesh's  Sylhet, Habigunj and Srimangal 
districts, which are adjacent to West Tripura and Dhalai 
districts in the Indian state of Tripura. Contacts in the 
governments of West Bengal and Tripura told EconFSN that no H5N1 
outbreaks have been reported in either state in the past three 
months. 
 
¶3.  Contacts in Tripura told EconFSN that the Tripura state 
government came to know about Bangladesh's latest round of 
unusual poultry mortality from media reports and alerted the 
Indian Border Security Force (BSF) to increase their vigilance 
along the 500-mile international border which the state shares 
with Bangladesh. According to these contacts, BSF is monitoring 
the livestock traffic across the border. Tripura Principal 
Secretary for the Animal Resources Department Dr. U. 
Venkateswarlu confirmed the mortality incident in Bangladesh and 
told EconFSN that he is preparing for a response in case there 
is an H5N1 outbreak in Tripura although he received no official 
communication from Government of India in this regard. 
 
¶4. Contacts told EconFSN that the West Bengal Government also 
learnt about the October 2008 outbreak in Bangladesh's Naogaon 
area from media reports. Malda, Mushidabad and South Dinajpur 
are Naogaon's adjacent districts in West Bengal although the 
actual area of the Naogaon outbreak seems between 30-40 miles 
from the nearest India-Bangladesh border. To date, the GOI has 
not notified West Bengal's Animal Resource Development 
Department and any AI outbreaks and, therefore, the GOWB has not 
trigger any AI response. 
 
¶5. In June 2008, government officials from both India and 
Bangladesh met in Dhaka and set up a bilateral mechanism to 
combat avian influenza. The attendees agreed to report avian 
influenza outbreaks to the respective central government 
ministries. As per the agreement, Bangladesh government will 
inform the relevant Government of India office (Department of 
Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Agriculture) through 
the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. GOI will then pass on 
the information through relevant channels. If this information 
sharing is taking place, it appears that it is not being passed 
to the state government officials responsible for providing 
immediate response to an outbreak. 
 
¶6. COMMENT: While the state governments of Tripura and West 
Bengal appear better prepared for an H5N1 AI outbreak than in 
the past, the bilateral combat mechanism established by India 
and Bangladesh does not appear to be working at the state level 
in India. This could lead to a delayed response if a serious 
H5N1 outbreak occurs. END COMMENT. 
 
PAYNE