TFFLU01: H1N1 INFLUENZA OUTBREAK - CHINA SITREP # 13

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 001335 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 # 13 REF: A) BEIJING 1317 B) BEIJING 1298 C) HONG KONG 887 D) BEIJING 1283 E) BEIJING 1274 F) BEIJING 1264 G) TOKYO 1072 H) HONG KONG 802 THREE CONFIRMED A (H1N1) CASES ON MAINLAND CHINA, A FOURTH SUSPECTED CASE AWAITING CONFIRMATION -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶1. (U) As of May 18, there are three confirmed cases of H1N1 on Mainland China. China's Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on May 16 the first confirmed case of infection of influenza A(H1N1)in Beijing Municipality. There are two other confirmed H1N1 cases on Mainland China (REF D and F). Hong Kong also has three confirmed cases of H1N1, the first confirmed on May 1 (REF H),a second case confirmed on May 13 (REF C) and according to press reports, and the third case, a 23-year old male student returning from the United States, confirmed by Hong Kong medical authorities on May 17. --According to MOH, the third confirmed case on the mainland involved an 18 year-old female Chinese student enrolled in college in New York State. She arrived in Beijing on May 11 Continental Airlines #89 from Newark and sought medical treatment on May 14, after reportedly having had limited exposure to the public before then. China CDC and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences conducted confirmation tests on May 16 and confirmed the case as influenza A/H1N1 positive. She is now reported to be in stable condition receiving treatment in isolation at Ditan Hospital. Premier WEN Jiabao visited Ditan Hospital on May 17, conversing with her via video link. -- On May 18, MOH notified Embassy Beijing of a suspected fourth case of influenze A(H1N1) in Guangzhou. The case, a 59-year old male, a Chinese citizen, went on a tour in Canada and the United States in late April. On May 13, he arrived in Hong Kong via Korea, and on May 14 developed flu-like symptoms. On May 15, he traveled from Hong Kong to Guangzhou by train and was found to have a fever when he arrived at Guangzhou East Station. He was then sent to Guangzhou Number 8 People's Hospital for treatment and testing, and Guangdong CIQ, Guangzhou CDC and Guangdong CDC test results all showed positive for influenza A/H1N1 nuclear acid. A sample from the case has been sent to China CDC for final confirmation. -- Press accounts report the mainland's first confirmed influenza A(H1N1) case was released from the hospital in Chengdu on May 17 and has returned to his hometown of Nejiang, Sichuan. STATUS OF AMCIT QUARANTINE CASES -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) As of May 18, 17 American citizens are reported to be in quarantine throughout China. Beijing FAO reported that all of the passengers on the May 8 NW029 flight who were in quarantine have been released. Beijing ACS has made direct contact with most of the 58 AmCits who had been on NW029 to confirm their release. Twelve AmCits are currently quarantined in Beijing's consular district, and another five have been quarantined in the Tibetan Autonomous Region. -- Five AmCits are quarantined in Beijing at Ditan Hospital. --A group of seven Amcits from the University of Chicago were quarantined in Dunhuang, Gansu, on May 17 after one member of the group was taken to the hospital for fever and stomach pain. Tests for H1N1 have been conducted and they are awaiting results. --The Tibetan Autonomous Region FAO notified the ConGen Chengdu on May 16 that five American citizens have been quarantined in their hotel in Lhasa after an Italian citizen in their tour group became ill. According to the FAO, lab tests are still being run to determine the Italian citizen's illness. BEIJING 00001335 002 OF 002 -- In the Guangzhou and Shanghai consular districts, all previously quarantined American citizens have now been released and Post is not currently aware of any new cases of Americans being quarantined. HOTELS ASKED TO PERFORM TEMPERATURE CHECKS -------------- -------------- ¶3. (U) China's Tourist and Hotel Association has issued guidance asking hotels to implement certain H1N1 prevention and control measures, including monitoring guests' temperatures. According to the notice, anyone who exhibits an elevated temperature over 38 degrees Celsius during check in, or at any time during their stay, is to be reported to the local Center for Disease Control (CDC) and taken to a designated medical center for observation and quarantine. ALLEGED TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS FOR FOREIGN TEACHERS AT A UNIVERSITY -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) In Jilin Province, an AmCit teacher at Changchun University of Science and Technology alleged that the school informed non-Chinese national teachers not to leave Changchun or meet with people from out of town. School officials assured ConGen Shenyang that no blanket travel restriction has been placed on the foreign teachers, noting that the foreign teachers were advised to avoid crowded places and notify the school of any travel plans with contact information (a policy already in place prior to the H1N1 outbreak outside of China). CHANGES TO CHINA'S VISA APPLICATION PROCESS -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Despite official MFA statements to the contrary, Post continues to receive reports from private sector contacts about new requirements or restrictions on processing visa applications for travel to China. Moreover, several USG delegations that had been planning to travel to China in coming weeks have been told by Chinese hosts to postpone their trip to an unspecified later date. PICCUTA