MINISTRY OF HEALTH CONFIRMS HUMAN CASE OF AVIAN INFLUENZA

UNCLAS BEIJING 000585 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS BANGKOK FOR REO AND CDC HHS FOR OGHA - STEIGER, HICKEY CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID AND COGH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KFLU EAGR CH SUBJECT: MINISTRY OF HEALTH CONFIRMS HUMAN CASE OF AVIAN INFLUENZA IN HUNAN PROVINCE REF A) BEIJING 7567 (2007) ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Chinese authorities retrospectively confirmed a human case of avian influenza (H5N1) in January in Hunan Province. The young man died on January 24, 2008. Tests of respiratory fluids taken and saved from the patient were tested last week by the Provincial CDC and confirmed influenza the diagnosis of type A, H5N1. National-level confirmation by the China CDC occurred on February 17, 2008. A separate case of avian influenza in poultry was reported from Tibet on February 6 and confirmed on February 17. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) The Ministry of Health transmitted a fax to the Embassy on February 18th providing details of a reported avian influenza case in Hunan Province. The case, a 22-year-old male (family name Li), occurred in Jianghua County, Yongzhou Prefecture, Hunan Province last month. Li became sick on January 16, 2008, and went to see the doctor in the local hospital on January 22nd, presenting with symptoms of fever and headache that did not respond to medical treatment. On January 23rd, the patient was transferred to Jianghua County Hospital #1. The symptoms worsened with severe dyspnea and death occurred at 5pm on January 24. On Feb. 15, 2008, the Hunan Center for Disease Control and Prevention conducted retrospective tests on the fluid samples collected from his respiratory tract. The results were positive for avian influenza virus (A/H5N1). ¶2. (U) On the night of Feb. 17, 2008, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention re-tested the samples and confirmed Hunan's results as being positive for avian influenza virus (A/H5N1). Using the World Health Organization's (WHO) definition of human highly pathogenic avian influenza and the Chinese diagnosis standards, an MOH expert panel on human avian influenza diagnosed and confirmed this case as human highly pathogenic avian influenza. ¶3. (U) Since 2003, China has reported 28 cases of avian influenza (H5N1),with 18 human deaths. This case in Hunan is the first in 2008 and comes almost 2 months after China reported a family-related cluster (father and son) of H5N1 avian flu in humans (Ref A). Local health officials in Hunan report that they took appropriate control measures, putting those who might have had close contact with Mr. Li under strict medical observation. To date, no symptoms have been identified in those being observed. ¶4. (SBU) On February 19th, the Embassy also received notice from the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) of an (H5N1) avian influenza outbreak among poultry in Tibet. The outbreak was confirmed by the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory on February 17th. The outbreak occurred in Se Ma Village, Nai Qiong Township, Dui Long De Qing County, Lhasa City, Tibet. According to MOA's notice, 180 chickens were affected, and 132 died. In response to the outbreak, MOA and local authorities culled over 6,200 chickens and 1500 ducks in the immediate area, and vaccinated all other poultry within a 5 KM radius of the occurrence. The outbreak has been reported to OIE. ¶5. (U) Comment: This chain of confirmatory testing at different levels followed the typical procedure in China for cases of avian influenza (H5N1): national-level confirmation prior to an announcement by MOH and MOA to the international community. The case in Hunan occurred during the worst snow storm in 50 years. Prolonged low temperatures and heavy snow caused blackouts and chaos, perhaps contributing to a delay in testing of the specimens until after the weather improved and officials returned from their week-long Spring Festival Holiday. It is worth noting that this isolated case was not associated with an avian influenza outbreak among poultry - the typical pattern of such reporting in China. RANDT