VZCZCXRO1283
RR RUEHAST RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHHI #0122/01 0440953
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 130953Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9140
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 5575
RUEHZS/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 3437
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5997
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 1637
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0021
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0384
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 1646
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//USDP/ISA/AP//
RHMFISS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC//J2/J3/J5//
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC//DHO-3//
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J00/J2/J3/J5//
RHEFAFM/DIRAFMIC FT DETRICK MD//MA-1A//
RUEHSUN/USUN ROME IT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000122 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/EP, INR, OES/STC, OES/IHA, MED, OGAC 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR ANE AND GH 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (STERN) 
HHS/OSSI/DSI PASS TO FIC/NIH (RGLASS) AND OGHA 
(LVALDEZDMILLER/MABDOO) 
USAID FOR ASIA (MELLIS, DSHARMA, CJENNINGS) AND GH (KHILL, 
DCARROLL) 
CDC FOR COGH (SBLOUNT), CCID (SREDD) AND DIV-FLU(COX/MOHEN) 
USDA PASS TO APHIS, FAS (OSTA AND OCRA), FSIS 
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC (MMALISON), USAID (MACARTHUR/MBRADY/CBOWES), 
APHIS (NCARDENAS), REO (HHOWARD) 
BEIJING FOR HHS HEALTH ATTACHE (BROSS) 
PHNOM PENH FOR CDC INFLUENZA COORDINATOR(BBRADY) 
ROME FOR FAO 
VIENTIANE FOR CDC INFLUENZA COORDINATOR (ACORWIN) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO AMED EAGR PINR KFLU VM
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: ANIMAL OUTBREAKS SPREAD INTO SEVEN 
PROVINCES 
 
REF: A. Hanoi 103  B. Hanoi 65 C.  Hanoi 21 
 
HANOI 00000122  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
1.(U) Summary:  Animal infections have now spread to 11 communes in 
10 districts within seven Vietnamese provinces, in the broadest 
outbreak since 2007. To date in 2009, H5N1 has affected seven 
provinces in Vietnam (Quang Tri and Nghe An in central Vietnam, Hau 
Giang, Soc Trang and Ca Mau in the south, and Quang Ninh and Bac 
Ninh in the north), and the disease is threatening to extend into 
additional provinces, particularly in the Mekong Delta. End 
Summary. 
 
Poultry Outbreaks 
----------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On February 11, Bac Ninh province, which borders Hanoi to 
the east, announced an outbreak of bird flu in An Dong village, Lac 
Ve commune, Tien Du district.  Tests performed on water fowl found 
dying en masse on February 8 and 9 at two poultry farms were 
positive for H5N1.  Provincial authorities quarantined the area and 
culled remaining birds at the farms.  Yesterday, the Department of 
Animal Health (DAH) within the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural 
Development (MARD) reported a continued poultry outbreak in Soc 
Trang (resulting int the culling of 2,000 ducks) and additional 
outbreaks in several communes in Hau Giang (resulting in the culling 
of 2,200 ducks), both in the Mekong Delta.  Officials also announced 
the presence of H5N1 in 250 sick ducks in a 1,000 animal flock in 
Quang Tri.  Following detection, the entire flock was culled.  In 
conversations with USAID officials, DAH Deputy Director Hoang Van 
Nam urged caution and noted that the total number of birds culled to 
date did not appear inconsistent with the numbers from 2008. 
However, Nam acknowledged greater concern over animal outbreaks in 
the Mekong Delta. 
 
Prime Minister Urges Strong Response 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶3. (U) On February 10, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told central 
and provincial officials to double efforts to fight bird flu, to 
improve vaccination coverage, quarantine outbreak areas, promptly 
release details of any epidemic.  He also called for an epidemic 
awareness program to better inform people of the risks from H5N1 and 
how to prevent its spread.  However, the GVN will have to combat 
growing apathy among many Vietnamese citizens, who have not faced a 
broad epidemic in some time and who are more concerned about access 
to affordable chicken or duck during tough economic times.  As an 
example, Ho Chi Minh City authorities expressed their frustration to 
the press today that they cannot stamp out the illegal trade of live 
chickens and ducks.  In some cases, traders have attacked 
inspectors. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶4. (U) While it is too early to determine whether these sporadic and 
localized outbreaks scattered around the country will result in a 
 
HANOI 00000122  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
nationwide epidemic as experienced earlier this decade, we remain 
concerned and will keep in close contact with our animal and human 
health contacts.  As has occurred in the past, the recent pattern is 
for initial infections in unvaccinated and mostly immature ducks 
with spill-over to smaller numbers of susceptible chickens, which 
pose the greatest risk to humans.  Complacency among the broader 
population, with fewer people following good sanitation practices, 
then increases the risk of human infection.  End Comment. 
 
MICHALAK