VZCZCXRO7561
RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHHM RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHNEH RUEHPB RUEHPOD
RUEHPW RUEHTM
DE RUEHCI #0357 3660500
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 310500Z DEC 08
FM AMCONSUL KOLKATA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2230
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0028
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 2727

UNCLAS KOLKATA 000357 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/IHB AND SCA/INS 
STATE FOR STAS AND AIAG (REED-ROWE) 
STATE PASS TO NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS 
STATE PASS TO USAID 
HHS PASS TO NIH/FIC (GLASS/MAMPILLY/HANDLEY) 
USDA FOR FDA (LUMPKIN/WELSCH) 
USDA FOR APHIS (FLEMINGS/BURLESON) 
HHS PASS TO OGHA (STEIGER/ABDOO/VALDEZ) 
CDC FOR BLOUNT/FARRELL 
STATE PASS TO MAS/DAS (JESTRADA AND HVINEYARD) 
GENEVA FOR HOFMAN 
NEW DELHI FOR FAS 
SEOUL FOR APHIS (BALL) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU EAGR ECON ETRD SENV CASC PGOV TBIO AMED
BEXP, TSPL 
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA SPREADS TO NEW AREAS IN ASSAM 
 
REF: A. KOLKATA 0328 
     ¶B. KOLKATA 3184 
     ¶C. KOLKATA 0354 
 
¶1. Summary: On December 24, the Government of India (GOI) 
confirmed that H5N1 Avian Influenza (AI) has spread to two more 
districts (Baksa and Nagaon) in the Northeastern state of Assam. 
 The GOI confirmed new cases of AI in additional villages in the 
previously affected districts of Kamrup and Bongaigaon.  The 
government of Assam is conducting culling operations in all 
these locations.  The Assam government is conducting human 
surveillance and has not reported any cases of H5N1 AI infection 
in humans.  End summary. 
 
Fresh AI Outbreaks in Assam 
 
¶2. On December 24, the Department of Animal Health, Dairy and 
Fisheries (DADF), a division of the GOI Ministry of Agriculture 
(MOAG), officially confirmed new AI outbreaks in the 
Northeastern state of Assam.  New cases of AI have been detected 
in Barahampur block in Nagaon district, Tihu Barama block in 
Baksa district, Hajo, Chayani Borduar blocks in Kamrup district 
and Dhaligaon block in Bongaigaon district.  Nagaon in central 
Assam and Baksa in western Assam are new districts to be 
affected by the virus, taking the tally of affected districts to 
nine out of a total of 27 in the state.  While Baksa is adjacent 
to the flu affected districts of Barpeta and Nalbari, Nagaon is 
non-contiguous to the flu affected zone.  This is the sixth 
notification by DADF regarding the spread of AI to newer areas 
in the state since the first outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian 
Influenza (HPAI) in Assam since the first outbreak on November 
27, 2008 (Ref A). 
 
Containment Operations 
 
¶3. According to daily AI status reports available on the GOI 
Ministry of Health and Family welfare website 
(http://www.mohfw.nic.in/aviannewassam.htm), government 
officials have culled 421,057 birds in Assam as of December 29 
and 256 animal health workers deployed for culling operations 
are on chemoprophylaxis.  Post was unable to reach Assam 
government officials, but media contacts based in the state who 
have spoken with the state Animal Husbandry department officials 
report that culling operations in the newly affected districts 
will not be over before the first week of January 2009.  Media 
contacts also report that the state administration has not been 
very effective in educating the public about the seriousness of 
the problem and the need for killing poultry to contain the 
spread of the virus.  As a result, some poultry owners are 
resisting culling operations.  For example, in Nagaon the 
government confirmed AI on December 24, but was unable to 
conduct culling operations until December 28 due to resistance 
from poultry owners.  While Assam's ban on egg and poultry sales 
is still in force, about 2000 poultry traders staged a protest 
in Kamrup (metro) district demanding the state lift the ban 
before December 31 since they stand to lose hundreds of 
thousands of rupees worth of business during New Year and the 
Assamese festival of Magh Bihu in January. 
 
Human Surveillance 
 
¶4. The GOI has deployed Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) to cover all 
the 18 epicenters of the outbreak to conduct house to house 
surveillance.  As of December 29, reports indicate that the 
teams detected 96 cases of upper respiratory infection, with no 
case of AI infection and none of the identified individuals had 
a history of handling dead or sick birds. 
 
PAYNE