VZCZCXRO3458
RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHLH RUEHNEH RUEHPW
DE RUEHCI #0018 0231059
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231059Z JAN 09
FM AMCONSUL KOLKATA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2246
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0163
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 2749
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

UNCLAS KOLKATA 000018 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS TO NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS 
STATE PASS TO USAID 
HHS PASS TO OGHA (KULIKOWSKI/CUMMINGS) 
STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/IHB AND SCA/INS 
STATE FOR STAS AND AIAG (REED-ROWE) 
HHS FOR NIH/FIC (GLASS/MAMPILLY/HANDLEY) 
HHS FOR FDA (LUMPKIN/VALDEZ) 
HHS FOR CDC (BLOUNT/COX) 
USDA FOR APHIS (FLEMING/BURLESON) 
USDA FOR FAS (RIKER/BEAN) 
NEW DELHI FOR FAS/APHIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR SENV CASC PGOV AMED KFLU IN NP CH
SUBJECT: FIRST CONFIRMED AVIAN INFLUENZA OUTBREAK IN SIKKIM 
 
REF: A) KOLKATA 3;B) 08 KOLKATA 145 
 
¶1. (U) On January 19, the Indian Ministry of Agriculture 
confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus in poultry in Ravongla 
Municipality in South Sikkim district in the northeastern state 
of Sikkim.  The epicenter is located approximately 40 km north 
of the last reported AI outbreak in India in Darjeeling, West 
Bengal, in January 2009 (Ref A).  On January 17, the Sikkim 
state government had sent samples of dead poultry to Bhopal's 
High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory after 40 birds had died 
in the area.  This is the first confirmed AI outbreak in the 
state.  State officials believe they avoided an AI outbreak in 
early 2008 despite a significant outbreak in West Bengal (Ref B) 
because of effective restrictions on poultry movements with 
neighboring states and countries.  There have been no registered 
cases of human infection. 
 
¶2. (U) Nine Rapid Response Teams from the state of Sikkim's 
Animal Husbandry Department are currently culling poultry within 
a three km radius of the epicenter. According to the Sikkim 
State Commissioner for Animal Husbandry, state officials plan to 
cull 15,000 birds in backyard poultry and complete their work by 
January 24.  The state has offered Rs 100 per full grown bird 
(approximately USD 2) which approximates market rates in Sikkim 
and is 2.5 times the previously agreed state-center compensation 
figures as per the February 7, 2008 circular.  The Sikkim state 
government has funded the additional top-up compensation. 
According to the commissioner and substantiated by media and 
other reporting, villagers are cooperating with the culling 
teams.  A federal team from the Indian Ministry of Health is 
assisting the state government with human health surveillance 
within a 10-km radius.  A local government official responsible 
for the block (a smaller administrative unit within the 
district) confirmed that as a precautionary measure, the state 
government has set up human isolation facilities in Ravongla's 
Subdivisional Hospital, although there are no reports of human 
infection. 
 
Comment 
 
¶3. (SBU) Sikkim is surrounded on three sides by the neighboring 
countries of Nepal, China (Tibet) and Bhutan and shares an 
internal border with the Indian state of West Bengal.  During 
the widespread AI outbreak in early 2008 in the neighboring 
state of West Bengal, Sikkim had been very vigilant about the 
movement of poultry into and out of the state which may have 
contributed to the lack of an AI outbreak.  However, on December 
17, the state eased its one-year old inter-state ban on the 
import of West Bengal sourced poultry to accommodate increased 
demand for Christmas and the ongoing local Losar (December 28) 
festivities.  While causality has yet to be proven, this current 
outbreak may be related to the poultry trade during this 
festival season. 
 
PAYNE