MGSF01: No Thai H1N1; ASEAN Flu Summit May 7

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 001122

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR OES/IHB JJONES,CPATTERSON; EAP FOR DHANNEMAN;
EEB/TPP/MTAA/ABT FOR ARYAN
DEPT FOR USAID/GBH
USDA FOR FAS,APHIS, AND OSTA
HHS FOR CDC
USCINCPACLO FOR AFRIMS
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR JDOHERTY/DBISBEE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFLU AEMR ASEC CASC TBIO KSAF KPAO PREL PINR AMGT
MG, ECON, EAID, WHO, EAGR, ETRD TH
SUBJECT: MGSF01: No Thai H1N1; ASEAN Flu Summit May 7

REF: (A) Bangkok 1060; (B) State 45833; (C) State 45269; (D) State
44254

BANGKOK 00001122 001.2 OF 002


SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: There remain no reported cases of A/H1N1 in humans
or swine in Thailand. Control measures at the airports are in
effect. The Royal Thai Government (RTG) will host May 7-8 a
ministerial summit of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
+ 3 (Japan, China, South Korea) health ministers. CDC, State and
USAID representatives will attend the meeting; digital video
conference with Washington will be held on both days. Swine product
imports from the U.S. continue to be effectively banned as Post
engagement continues. Embassy Bangkok held a May 6 EAC meeting but
will institute no extraordinary measures at this time beyond
continued communication with the Embassy community and general
American public in Thailand. END SUMMARY

NO H1N1 CASES
--------------


2. (U) As of May 6, there have been no confirmed cases of A/H1N1
influenza in Thailand. The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH)
continues to direct H1N1 preparations. On May 3, a group of 14 Thai
students and teachers returning to Bangkok from Mexico were met by
MoPH officials and voluntarily processed. After examination, three
were quarantined in a MoPH hospital until tests confirmed the
absence of A/H1N1. Currently two Thais (not associated with the
group of students and teachers) and one German are under quarantine
after they arrived from overseas with high temperatures and flu-like
symptoms; test results have not yet determined if they have A/H1N1.


ASEAN + 3 MINISTERIAL SUMMIT MAY 7
--------------


3. (U) The RTG will host a meeting of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) + 3 (Japan, South Korea and China) public
health ministers May 7-8 in Bangkok to plan regional cooperation.
The "ASEAN+3 Health Ministers Special Meeting on Influenza A(H1N1)"
on May 8 will be preceded by the "Special Meeting of Senior
Officials on Health Development" on May 7.


4. (U) The summit will consider how to use the 2003 SARS outbreak as
a model for regional H1N1 response. USG officials are invited to
attend the meetings on both days of the summit; State, CDC and USAID
representatives will participate. On May 7 and 8 there will be a
digital video conference with HHS/CDC officials in the U.S. to
discuss the U.S. experience with A/H1N1 and preparedness plans.

ROYAL THAI GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
--------------


5. (SBU) Airport officials continue to thermoscan passengers at the
major Thai airports (Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok),Chiang Mai, Phuket,
Samui, and Hat Yai). Krabi airport has one daily flight from
Malaysia and arrivals are randomly checked with an ear thermometer.
The MoPH appears to be directing management of passengers with
symptoms. CDC Southeast Asia Director was on the flight with
returning Thai students and teachers (paragraph two) and noted that
the flight crew distributed questionnaires on arrival, before
deplaning. MoPH agents first escorted the 14 arrivals from Mexico
off the aircraft to a separate airport quarantine. All RTG actions
appear to have the voluntary cooperation of passengers. With regard
to symptomatic passengers, the MoPH states that it will contact
passengers surrounding any passenger who develops a confirmed case
of A/H1N1.

THAILAND MAINTAINS BAN ON SWINE IMPORTS
--------------


6. (SBU) On April 27, the RTG Ministry of Agriculture's Department
of Livestock Development issued an official memorandum to its port
inspection offices to consider carefully the importation of swine

BANGKOK 00001122 002.2 OF 002


and swine carcasses from the United States, Mexico, and any country
announcing an A/H1NI outbreak. On May 1 and 4, Post delivered
demarche points to senior officials at the Ministries of Commerce,
Foreign Affairs and Agriculture to inform them of USG concerns per
Ref D. As of May 6 the ban on all swine products (Ref A) continues.
Septel will report RTG response to demarche.

EMBASSY BANGKOK PREPARATIONS
--------------


7. (SBU) On May 6 Embassy Bangkok held a A/H1N1 Working
Group/sub-EAC committee meeting to discuss A/H1N1 status, and review
tripwire and Mission preparation plans. The Mission will not at
this time take any extraordinary measures, but will release a new
management notice, and warden message to follow, with an update on
A/H1N1 in Thailand and guidance. While Post will continue regular
meetings and coordination with Consulate General Chiang Mai, it was
agreed that any confirmed A/H1N1 cases in Thailand, or sustained
transmission in neighboring countries, would trigger an immediate
sub-EAC meeting and consideration of other actions. CDC and RMO
physicians warned that influenza season is year-round in Southeast
Asia, and that a spike in cases is usually seen around this time of
year. Our planning assumption is that there probably will be some
confirmed A/H1N1 cases in Thailand in the months ahead.


8. (U) POC is ESTH officer Hal Howard, howardhh@state.gov. Other
information will be reported through the Share-Point Matrix as
requested in Ref B. Thermoscan reporting will be by email per Ref

C.

JOHN