US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK6156

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 006156 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR G 
DEPT FOR EAP 
USDA FOR FAS/DLP/HWETZEL AND FAS/ICD/LAIDIG 
USDA/FAS/FAA/DYOUNG AND USDA/APHIS 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO USAID/ANE/CLEMENTS AND GH/CARROLL 
PARIS FOR FAS/AG MINISTER COUNSELOR/OIE 
ROME FOR FAO 
 
E.O. 12958:NA 
TAGS: TBIO, AMED, CASC, EAGR, AMGT, PGOV, SOCI, TH 
SUBJECT: THAILAND AVIAN INFLUENZA: SITUATION REPORT 2 
 
1.   On September 16, 2005, the Royal Thai Government 
(RTG) announced confirmed highly pathogenic avian 
influenza (HPAI) in 90 birds in central Thailand 
(Saraburi and Kamphaeng Phet).  This new detection was 
made in so-called native chickens (free ranging, 
backyard poultry) with minimum biosecurity precautions. 
The RTG reportedly responded by culling infected and 
suspected poultry. Thus far the source of this 
infection is unknown and pending further investigation. 
 
 
2.   Thailand has been conducting the current 
nationwide surveillance since July 1, 2005.  In this 
third wave to date, there have been 36 officially 
confirmed outbreaks in 5 provinces, since the second 
wave of HPAI re-occurrence that occurred from July 2004 
to April 2005.  The affected provinces in this third 
wave, with the number of outbreaks indicated in 
parentheses, include Ayutthaya (1); Chainat (1); 
Kampaeng Phet (10); Saraburi (5); and Suphan Buri (19). 
 
3.   According to Royal Thai Government authorities, 
all cases involved either free-range poultry or poultry 
raised in farms with traditional husbandry practices 
with poor sanitation and insufficient biosecurity. 
Breakdown by type of poultry population, along with 
number of outbreaks in each category, include: native 
poultry (28); quail (3); fighting cocks (2); laying 
hens (1); laying ducks (1); and broilers (1). 
 
4.   Four other HPAI outbreaks were detected in August 
2005 in similar areas of Thailand and in similar types 
of poultry raised in low-biosecurity situations.  The 
other August detections were in Ayutthaya, Kamphaeng 
Phet and Suphan Buri.  Detection dates were August 10, 
18, 19 and 30, 2005, involving 356 animals.  There have 
been no recent reports of HPAI infection in commercial 
poultry operations and, as such, culling has been 
limited to small household flocks with relatively few 
animals. 
 
5.   A more recent, but not yet officially confirmed, 
case of HPAI has been reported in the press and on the 
website of the Mass Communications Organization of 
Thailand (MCOT).  Thai media sources are reporting that 
The Director of Bureau of Disease Control and 
Veterinary Service, Dr. Nirandorn Uangtrakunsook, said 
Wednesday that more than 17,000 birds were culled 
Monday (September 19) after avian influenza virus was 
detected in a meat-producing poultry farm.  Reports did 
not indicate how many of the 17,000 birds tested 
positive for HPAI, but that all birds were destroyed. 
Meat from this flock reportedly goes exclusively into 
the domestic market. The official suspects that the 
infection in this broiler flock might be attributed to 
a failure to control the movement of HPAI positive 
native (free ranging) chickens. 
6.   One Thai English-language newspaper (The Nation) 
reported on September 20, 2005, that Royal Thai 
Government's Food and Drug Administration announced 
that raids along the northern borders foiled a plan to 
smuggle avian influenza vaccine into Thailand from 
China.  Thai FDA said that a total of 700,000 doses of 
the poultry vaccine contained in about 1,500 bottles 
were found to have originated from China and been 
smuggled across the Thai-Burmese border into Chiang 
Rai's Chiang Saen district.  FDA Secretary General 
Pakdee Bhodisiri is quoted as saying that some 450 
bottles of the vaccine, carrying the VEBIO and CAHIC 
brand names, were confiscated on June 23, an another 
429 the following day, and other 429 on June 25. Chiang 
Saen customs officers found the drugs left in a Chinese 
boat, he said, adding that the smugglers had fled 
before authorities, acting on a tip-off, arrived. Prior 
to the latest smuggling incidents, customs officials at 
Bangkok International Airport discovered another batch 
of 300 bottles, Pakdee said. All of the confiscated 
products were destroyed, he added. 
7.   There have been no reports of human infection with 
HPAI in Thailand since October 2004.  The Minitry of 
Public Health (MOPH) continues its surveillance 
campaignsThere have been a total of 17 confirmed human 
HPAI cases in Thailand with 12 HPAI human deaths. 
8.   Thailand-based HHS/CDC/IEIP staff Mark Simmerman 
is in Indonesia as part of the USG avian influenza 
assessment team.  WHO has discussed the current 
situation of avian influenza in humans with the USG 
Inter-agency team and it appears likely that there is 
at least one cluster of illness.  The human cases are 
under investigation.  NAMRU2 is actively collaborating 
with the Indonesian National Institute of Health to 
collect and test samples. 
 
Boyce