US embassy cable - 05ZAGREB1436

UNCLAS ZAGREB 001436 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO, ECON, PREL, SOCI, HR, Trade 
SUBJECT: CROATIA ADDRESSING THREAT OF AVIAN 
INFLUENZA 
 
REF: STATE 153802 
 
1.  SUMMARY AND COMMENT  Post has delivered reftel 
talking points to both the Ministries of Health and 
Agriculture.  The GOC's strategy includes the 
establishment of an inter-agency committee; an 
awareness outreach to veterinarians and producers; a 
ban on imports from affected countries; and 
cooperation with the international community, 
neighboring countries, and municipalities.  The plan 
seems comprehensive and well coordinated at the 
national and local levels.  END SUMMARY AND COMMENT 
 
2.  On August 31, 2005 Emboffs met with Ms. Sanja 
Separovic, Head of the Animal Health Department and 
Veterinary Practice Department, Ministry of 
Agriculture to discuss Croatia's strategy for 
addressing the threat of avian influenza.  Ms. 
Separovic is also a member of the interagency 
committee that deals with avian influenza.  Ms. 
Separovic's contact information is phone: 385-1-610- 
6702, fax: 385-1-610-9207, and email: 
veterinarstvo@zg.tel.hr. 
 
3.  In order to increase awareness of the threat, 
the Ministry of Agriculture is preparing information 
materials to be distributed to producers and vets 
throughout Croatia.  Previous outreaches have also 
included workshops with local vets and meetings with 
producers/farmers.  A pamphlet on avian influenza is 
expected to be completed the week of September 5, 
2005.  The GOC is stressing to producers the 
importance of adhering to strict biosafety measures 
and reporting any incidents. 
 
4.  Croatia instituted a ban on the import of 
poultry and poultry products from affected countries 
(a largely symbolic move, since Croatian imports are 
negligible overall and non-existent from the 
affected countries).  The poultry sector is 
important in Croatia and EU safety standards 
relating to the export of poultry have already been 
adopted.  One hundred percent of all commercial 
poultry producers keep their birds enclosed.  As 
part of its plan to combat avian influenza, 
regulations were adopted requiring producers to 
notify the government of any suspected cases.  If 
any cases of the disease are identified, all poultry 
in a three-kilometer radius would be culled and 
poultry within a twenty-kilometer radius would be 
placed under surveillance testing. Most poultry 
production in Croatia is concentrated in the north 
and west near the cities of Varazdin and Slavonski 
Brod. 
 
5.  Ms. Separovic indicated that GOC has good 
cooperation with the EU and neighboring countries on 
this issue. 
 
DELAWIE 
 
 
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