TFFLU01: H1N1 INFLUENZA OUTBREAK - CHINA SITREP # 10

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 001283 HHS FOR OGHA CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID, AND PASS TO FLU COX AND MOUNTS AND COGH BLOUNT AND KELLEY SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KFLU AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO TBIO KSAF KPAO PREL PINR AMGT, MG, EAGR, HHS, TF, CH SUBJECT: TFFLU01: H1N1 INFLUENZA OUTBREAK - CHINA SITREP # 10 REF: A) BEIJING 1274 B) BEIJING 1264 C) TOKYO 1072 D) BEIJING 1245 E) BEIJING 1224 F) HONG KONG 802 CHINA ISSUES ADVISORY ON TRAVEL TO THE UNITED STATES -------------- -------------- ¶1. (SBU) On May 13, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) posted a travel advisory about travel to the U.S. related to the H1N1 outbreak. Earlier in the day, MFA had notified Embassy Beijing of their intent to issue the travel advisory, noting that the advisory is not a travel warning, but rather, is a reminder to Chinese nationals in the United States to take appropriate precautions and health measures. MFA also noted that the substance of the advisory was taken largely from information provided on the U.S. CDC website. ¶2. (SBU) Separately, Post received news that a delegation of approximately 20 provincial and Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) officials was scheduled to participate in a program on "Strengthening Governance through Enhanced Public Administration" on June 6-27 in the United States. The Renmin University organizer informed the host institution Michigan State University this week that the program will have to be postponed due to Chinese Government concerns related to H1N1. When asked about this (and other similar recent reports of delegations delaying official travel),a key MFA contact emphasized that there are no such prohibitions, and that at this time the only official guidance has been a travel advisory (paragraph 1),not a prohibition on travel. ¶3. (SBU) Post has received reports through private sector contacts that China has instituted visa restrictions for any persons travelling to/from/through the U.S., and other H1N1 affected countries. Beijing Consular Section has been in contact with MFA regarding rumored visa restrictions, but MFA denied that it has imposed any restrictions because of the H1N1 outbreak. TWO CONFIRMED CASES OF H1N1 -------------- ¶4. (SBU) As of COB May 13, China's Ministry of Health (MOH) has reported two confirmed cases of H1N1 on Mainland China. MOH notified Embassy Beijing of a second suspected case in Jinan City (Shandong Province) the evening of May 12 and confirmed the case as H1N1 positive on May 13. The first H1N1 case on the mainland was confirmed in Chengdu on May 12 (REF A). One confirmed case had previously been reported in Hong Kong on May 1 (REF F). --The second confirmed H1N1 case, a 19 year-old Chinese male who had been studying in Canada, traveled on Air Canada flight 029 from Vancouver, arriving in Beijing on May 8. While on board a train from Beijing to Jinan City (his hometown) on May 11, he contacted Jinan CDC to report flu-like symptoms. The student was then met by Jinan CDC officials upon arrival late on May 11 and transferred directly to Jinan Infectious Diseases Hospital for testing and treatment. On May 12, Jinan CDC and Shandong Provincial CDC both conducted tests that showed "probable" H1N1. MOH sent clinical and epidemiological experts to Jinan on the morning of May 13, and China CDC confirmed the case as influenza A/H1N1 later in the day. STATUS OF AMCIT QUARANTINE CASES -------------- ¶5. (SBU) As of May 13, 73 American citizens are reported to be in quarantine throughout China - 48 are currently being quarantined in Beijing and fifteen are quarantined in nine other provinces and municipalities across China. Of these, over 50 were passengers on the May 8 NW029 flight from Tokyo to Beijing with China's first confirmed case of H1N1. The MFA and Foreign Affairs Offices (FAOs) BEIJING 00001283 002 OF 002 in several provinces and municipalities have requested assistance from Embassy Beijing and our Consulates to help locate certain American citizens who traveled on the same flights as the two confirmed cases of H1N1 for quarantine. -- 40 AmCits remain quarantined at the Guomen Hotel. All 40 were passengers on flight NW029 into Beijing on May 8. One AmCit quarantined at the Guomen Hotel reports that health authorities posted an announcement saying if those under quarantine continue to show no symptoms, they would be released on May 16. There are now seven AmCits in quarantine at the Jinglin Hotel, with one new case transferred to the hotel on May 13 from Ditan Hospital. (Note: Jinglin Hotel is a correction from REF A, which named the hotel as the Jin Lin Da Sha Hotel.) One other AmCit, who arrived in Beijing in May 13 on flight CO089 and displayed flu-like symptoms upon arrival was taken to Ditan Hospital for observation. --Fifteen AmCits are in quarantine in Shandong, Gansu, Hebei, and Henan provinces. Of these, eight are known to have been on the May 8 NW029 flight from Tokyo to Beijing. In one case in Zhengzhou (Henan Province),two travel companions of the passenger on NW029 were also quarantined. In another case in Qinhuangdao (Hebei Province),three other AmCits who were in a tour group with a couple who had traveled on NW029 were also quarantined. --There are currently five AmCits in quarantine who were on board NW025 from Detroit to Tokyo (Narita) on May 8 with the four confirmed H1N1-infected Japanese passengers (who remain in Japan)(REF C). Four AmCits remain in quarantine in Shanghai at the Jin Jiang Star Hotel. On May 11, one additional AmCit from that flight was placed under house quarantine in Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province). --Fujian FAO reported that a 10 month-old American citizen has been placed in quarantine at the Changle Hospital after the baby showed an elevated temperature at a local clinic on May 12. The baby and mother had flown from New York to Fuzhou via Hong Kong on May 7. The FAO also reported two other AmCits, another mother and child, had been quarantined at Changle Hospital overnight but were released as of May 13. --Guangzhou FAO reported that one AmCit was quarantined at Shenzhen's Shanhai Farm on May 12 after exhibiting a fever when crossing the border from Hong Kong to China. Two AmCits who traveled to Beijing on the same May 8 NW029 Tokyo to Beijing flight and then flew onward to Guangzhou remain in quarantine in Guangzhou. --In Kunming, one AmCit who had arrived in Beijing on the NW029 May 8 flight and then traveled on to Yunnan remains in home quarantine. A second American who arrived in Kunming from Hong Kong on flight KA760 with an elevated temperature was put into quarantine at a local hospital. --Case reported in Shenyang not/not AmCit: Shenyang local newspaper reported on May 13 that one of six persons in quarantine at Shenyang Infectious Disease Hospital was a U.S. citizen. Subsequent inquiry by ConGen Shenyang confirmed the individual is a Chinese citizen, U.S. legal permanent resident (LPR/Green Card holder). PICCUTA