US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV6238

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 006238 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/IHA, NEA/IPA AND NEA/RA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO, EAGR, PREL, ECON, KWBG, IS, ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS 
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: GOI ASSISTING PA; GROUPS FEAR 
OVERREACTION TO FLU THREAT 
 
REF: A. JERUSALEM 4870 (NOTAL) 
     B. TEL AVIV 6170 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: Israeli officials are in daily contact with 
their counterparts from the Palestinian Authority and have 
been testing birds on behalf of the PA.  GOI veterinary 
officials have provided their Palestinian counterparts with 
antigens to detect avian influenza.  GOI and PA veterinary 
officials already meet periodically, and Israel has asked 
Jordan to include the PA in coordination meetings initiated 
by Jordan.  There have not yet been any H5N1 cases detected 
in Israel.  Birdwatchers, poultry farmers and the Cancer 
Society have expressed concerns about possible overreaction 
to the threat of bird flu.  End summary. 
 
2. (SBU) GOI Head Veterinarian Moshe Chaimovitz told ESTH 
Officer October 27 that the Israeli Veterinary Service (VS) 
is in daily contact with its Palestinian counterparts. 
Chaimovitz said he had learned that the PA needed antigens to 
detect avian influenza from press reports.  He immediately 
phoned his PA counterpart, sent a supply of antigens, and 
provided information on European antigen suppliers used by 
the GOI.  The GOI VS has tested a number of birds from the PA 
for avian influenza; all tested negative.  Noting that GOI 
and PA VS officials meet periodically, Chaimovitz said he had 
requested that the PA VS be included in the series of 
coordination meetings initiated recently by Jordan. 
 
3. (U) The GOI VS has tested hundreds of birds in recent 
weeks, but so far has not discovered the H5N1 virus in 
Israel.  Birdwatchers, poultry farmers, and the Cancer 
Society have expressed concerns about possible overreaction 
to the threat of bird flu.  Dr. Yossi Leshem, an 
ornithologist at Tel Aviv University and director of the 
International Center for the Study of Migratory Birds at 
Latrun, has been telling the public that they can enjoy bird 
watching as usual this season, but should avoid contact with 
sick or dead birds.  Leshem told the Israeli daily "Haaretz" 
October 21 that some 50,000 birds are banded in Israel each 
year.  He asked that government ministries provide resources 
for testing and monitoring the banded birds to help create 
continuous tracking of wild bird populations along the 
Syrian-African Rift. 
 
4. (U) Chicken farmers have decried the "hype" about avian 
flu.  Large growers interviewed by "Haaretz" noted that their 
poultry runs were closed and there was limited risk of 
contact with diseased wild birds.  Consumption of chicken 
meat reportedly held steady over the recent Jewish holidays. 
Meanwhile, a Cancer Society representative questioned 
government plans to buy additional supplies of Tamiflu, 
noting that the number of Israelis dying each year of colon 
and breast cancers exceeded the number of people who might 
die in a serious flu outbreak. 
 
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