US embassy cable - 05PARIS7132

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 007132 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR G, OES, OES/IHA, EUR/WE 
HHS FOR INTERNATIONAL/STEIGER/BUDASHEWITZ/GAY 
USDA FOR ITP/MACKE/THOMAS, CMP/DLP/WETZEL 
USDA FOR FAS PASS FSIS AND APHIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO, EAGR, SOCI, FR 
SUBJECT: AVIAN FLU: FRANCE REACTS TO THREAT 
 
REF: A)PARIS 5816 ; B)PARIS 6191 
 
 1. (SBU) Summary: The presence of the H5N1 virus in 
 Romania, Turkey, and (possibly) Greece has captured 
 front-page headlines and triggered much commentary in 
 the French media. The French government reacted 
 swiftly, too.  Prime Minister de Villepin confirmed on 
 October 14 the two French government priorities: to 
 prevent the spread of the disease in birds, and to 
 protect the health of the population, and he announced 
 the implementation of new measures or reinforcement of 
 measures already in place, particularly with regard to 
 surveillance and reporting of bird deaths.  Because 
 winter migration patterns for wild birds that may be 
 infected from the Urals region do not pass over 
 continental France, French veterinarians are hopeful - 
 at least this winter - that wild birds will not infect 
 domestic poultry in France.  A revised French 
 government plan to fight avian flu is expected in the 
 coming days.  End summary. 
 
 "No reason to panic" 
 -------------------- 
 
 2.  (U) On October 14, Prime Minister de Villepin 
 convened ministers with responsibilities for avian flu 
 preparedness, together with Professor Didier Houssin, 
 the Inter-Ministerial Delegate for Avian Flu, to 
 discuss risks related to the reports of the appearance 
 of the H5N1 virus in Romania and Turkey. 
 Contemporaneously, the GOF announced a number of 
 measures concerning both the reinforcement of 
 surveillance of wild and domestic fowl, and new 
 preventive measures concerning human health.  Finance 
 Minister Thierry Breton noted that France had earmarked 
 an additional 200 million euros from the 2005 budget to 
 fund preventive measures.  While the GOF sought to 
 strike a reassuring note, Professor Houssin stated that 
 his goal was to prepare France "as if the pandemic was 
 to occur tomorrow." 
 
 3.  The French National Plan to fight a "pandemic flu" 
 on which experts started working five years ago was 
 last revised in May 2005 (text, in French, available on 
 the Health Ministry website: 
 (http://www.sante.gouv.fr/htm/dossiers/grippe /pandemieg 
 rippale_plan.pdf).  The GOF announced on October 14 
 that an updated version of the plan, taking into 
 account the most recent scientific information 
 available, will be released shortly. 
 
 Protect the population 
 ---------------------- 
 
 4.  (SBU) Sanitary Masks/Anti-Viral Medicine: France 
 has stockpiled some 50 million masks, which have been 
 distributed amongst French hospitals.  Another 150 
 million will be available by 2006, and still another 
 200 million was ordered by the Health Ministry last 
 week.  The reported GOF goal is to eventually stockpile 
 600 million masks.  Government health authorities claim 
 to be in possession of between five to nine million 
 anti-viral treatments (we've seen conflicting numbers), 
 and have announced that 14 million more such treatments 
 will be available by the end of 2005. GOF officials 
 reportedly informed the press on October 17 that France 
 has taken steps to cover the needs of 30 percent of its 
 population, both in France and abroad.  (Note: We have 
 been told that the EU and the WHO recommend coverage 
 for 25 percent of a country's population.  End note.) 
 In anticipation of the emergence of a Tamiflu-resistant 
 virus, the GOF has also begun negotiations with 
 GlaxoSmithKline to stockpile another anti-viral 
 treatment, `Relenza'.  Health Minister Xavier Bertrand 
 has said that the GOF will maintain the stockpile of 
 anti-virals and distribute them -- under the strict 
 supervision of the French army -- at no cost as needed 
 in case of a pandemic. 
 
 Preventing the spread of the disease 
 ------------------------------------ 
 
 5.  (U) Although it is still too early to determine 
 exactly where France stands with regard to recently 
 issued EU guidance concerning domestic poultry, France 
 has announced a number of measures to ensure: 
 -- Increased surveillance of migratory birds; 
 -- Screening of domestic poultry for avian flu; 
 -- Encouraging farmers to keep poultry indoors to 
 prevent contacts with migratory birds; 
 -- Stricter controls to prevent the introduction in 
 France of already banned birds and bird products 
 (feathers, etc.); 
 -- Improved reporting of suspect deaths by both farmers 
 and people in contact with wild birds (hunters, people 
 working in natural parks, environmentalists). 
 
 6.  (U) Agriculture Minister Dominique Bussereau also 
 announced on October 14 that a "realistic exercise" 
 will take place in Brittany in early November based on 
 the hypothetical discovery of a source of infection in 
 the area.  Applying the `precautionary principle', 
 France has also decided, with the European Commission, 
 to immediately ban the import of poultry from Turkey or 
 Romania. 
 
 7.  (SBU) According to an Embassy contact at the 
 Agriculture Ministry, World Organization for Animal 
 Health (OIE) experts who recently analyzed migratory 
 patterns of wild birds coming from the Urals region are 
 of the opinion that the birds will head to the southern 
 and western parts of Africa where they will winter, 
 avoiding continental France entirely.  However, 
 anticipating possible avian flu outbreaks in Africa, 
 Inter-ministerial Delegate for Avian Flu Houssin has 
 emphasized the difficulties inherent in controlling the 
 spread of the H5N1 virus if it appears there.  He also 
 has highlighted risks when potentially infected 
 migratory birds return from Africa to Europe and urges 
 the international community to help African countries 
 counter the virus in Africa. 
 
 8.  (U) Comment: Concern regarding the steady creep of 
 the avian flu into southeastern Europe has created an 
 incessant flow of commentary in the media.  Paris' role 
 as a major international transportation hub increases 
 its vulnerability to any pandemic outbreak.  The 
 average Frenchman is not certain what s/he should do. 
 The government is well into planning for a pandemic, 
 while at the same time urging the public to remain 
 calm.  End comment. 
 
 STAPLETON