US embassy cable - 05HARARE1655

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001655 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/S FOR BNEULING 
OES/IHA FOR DR. DANIEL SINGER, REBECCA DALEY 
INR/GI RAYMOND LESTER 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE 
USDOC FOR ROBERT TELCHIN 
TREASURY FOR J. RALYEA, B. CUSHMAN 
PASS USTR FOR FLORIZELLE LISER 
STATE PASS USAID FOR MARJORIE COPSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO, SENV, ECON, ETRD, EAGR, EAID, PREL, ZI, Agriculture, Avian Flu 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE TAKES CAUTIONARY APPROACH ON DETECTED 
AVIAN FLU 
 
REF: A. A) SECSTATE 216147 
     B. B) HARARE 1576 
 
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Summary 
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1. (SBU) Government sources confirmed that avian influenza 
(AI) was found in several ostriches in southwestern Zimbabwe 
had a strain of AI.  However, further testing showed it was 
not the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain.  A poultry quarantine 
and export ban had been initially imposed but was expected to 
be lifted soon.  Embassy health officials are now represented 
on the two GOZ taskforces that are addressing AI control.  So 
far, the GOZ appears to have followed appropriate, proactive 
procedures with respect to AI.  End Summary. 
 
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Non-Threatening Flu Strain Found 
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2. (SBU) In response to reftel request, Poloff met with 
Zimbabwe Poultry Association President Peter Drummond on 
December 1, who mentioned that routine surveillance had 
detected several otherwise healthy ostriches in Matabeleland 
in southwestern Zimbabwe with the H5-typed AI.  Drummond said 
further testing was being done but he did not believe it was 
H5N1 strain (see para x for post response to reftel.) 
 
3. (SBU) Ministry of Agriculture Director of Veterinary 
Services Dr. Stuart Hargreaves confirmed to post CDC officers 
the positive test results and said his service had notified 
the appropriate government agencies.  Hargreaves said 
Zimbabwean labs could identify the H5 virus but not the 
particular strain (i.e. N1 or N2).  He had therefore ordered 
further testing of the samples in South Africa and Europe. 
On December 6, Hargreaves office called CDC to report that 
the further tests had identified the AI strain as H5N2, not 
the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain recently found in Asia and 
Europe. 
 
4.  (SBU) Pending identification of the strain, the GOZ had 
initially quarantined all poultry in Zimbabwe, effectively 
banning exports.  According to Drummond, with confirmation 
that the strain was not the H5N1 variety the GOZ planned to 
announce a lifting of the quarantine on December 8. 
 
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GOZ AI Task Forces 
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5. (SBU) The GOZ now has two separate AI taskforces, one 
addressing veterinary control measures led by the Ministry of 
Agriculture (MOA) and the other addressing human and 
human-animal control measures led by the Ministry of Health 
and Child Welfare (MOH).  The MOH task force, in which post 
CDC officers participate, learned about the AI positive test 
results as a result of our inquiries.  To improve 
communication between the two bodies, CDC sought and obtained 
a seat on the MOA task force as well. 
 
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Response to Reftel Tasking 
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6.  (U) In response to post's inquiry on AI-related import 
restrictions (ref A), Drummond stated that the GOZ had not 
restricted the importation of poultry or poultry products, 
nor had the industry experienced a decline in consumer demand 
for poultry and/or poultry products. 
 
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Comment 
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7. (SBU) The formation of AI task forces by the GOZ and the 
precautionary actions taken by Hargreaves would seem to 
indicate that the GOZ has been taking AI seriously and 
instituting the right measures to handle an outbreak.  That 
said, bureaucratic coordination poses an impediment that we 
hope to help the Ministries involved overcome in the future. 
SCHULTZ