HONG KONG/MACAU FLU UPDATE: REGIONAL MEETING,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HONG KONG 000511 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/CM, CA/OCS/ACS/EAP, AIAG, OES/IHA, MED HHS FOR OGHA - STEIGER, HICKEY CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID AND COGH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KFLU EAGR CASC AMED AMGT PINR MO HK SUBJECT: HONG KONG/MACAU FLU UPDATE: REGIONAL MEETING, FEWER CHILD CASES REF: A. HONG KONG 348 ¶B. HONG KONG 370 ¶C. HONG KONG 402 ¶D. HONG KONG 470 ¶E. GUANGZHOU 160 ¶1. (U) Summary. Public health officials from Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong Province met in Hong Kong on March 17 to discuss prevention and treatment of seasonal influenza following recent developments in Hong Kong and the latest poultry H5N1 outbreaks in Guangdong Province. Macau Secretary for Social and Cultural Affairs Fernando Chui SIPDIS announced that Macau, while at second-degree alert level against pandemic influenza, has not recorded a serious influenza case this year and infection rates are unchanged from 2007. In Hong Kong, infection rates in children are falling following the March 13 primary school closure. The Hong Kong Government is studying a mass child vaccination plan for winter 2009. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong public health and medical professionals held a meeting on March 17 to discuss prevention and treatment of seasonal influenza following recent developments in Hong Kong (reftel D) and the latest H5N1 poultry outbreaks in Guangdong Province (reftel E). Consistent with a 2005 Memorandum of Understanding between the governments, the meeting focused on the exchange of epidemiological and laboratory findings, as well as a discussion of prevention and control measures Hong Kong is carrying out. Meeting participants included: HONG KONG Dr. S.K. Chuang, Consultant for Community Medicine, Centre for Health Protection Dr. W.L. Lim, Consultant in-charge of Pathology Service, Department of Health Dr. Liu Shao-haei, Chief Manager, Hospital Authority GUANGDONG Dr. Lin Jinyan, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangdong Province Dr. He Jianfeng, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangdong Province MACAU Dr. Liu Kin-man, Pediatrician, Chief of Service of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Health Bureau Dr. Leung Iek-hou, Public Health Specialist, Health Authority of the Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance, Health Bureau ¶3. (U) Macau Secretary for Social and Cultural Affairs Fernando Chui held a coordinating meeting of the Health Bureau, Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, and Social Welfare Bureau in the Macau Special Administrative Region on March 13. Macau is at second-degree alert level against pandemic influenza, but has not recorded a serious influenza case this year. Secretary Chui noted that seasonal influenza infection rates for adults and children are at the same levels as in past years, and he is in close coordination with his Hong Kong counterparts. ¶4. (U) Hong Kong Secretary of Health York Chow said March 17 that the number of children presenting at hospitals for flu treatment is back to normal levels following the March 13 closure of primary schools. New measures to monitor severe pediatric flu cases have identified twelve cases with no additional fatalities since March 14. The Hong Kong Government has begun study of a USD$12.5M plan to vaccinate HONG KONG 00000511 002 OF 002 all Hong Kong children under age 11 for winter 2009, said Chow. ¶5. (U) Post's point of contact is ESTH Officer Dawn Schrepel, who can be reached at schrepeldm@state.gov, 852-2841-2104 (office) or 852-9154-4053 (mobile). Cunningham