Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BEIJING1335
2009-05-18 10:43:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Beijing
Cable title:  

TFFLU01: H1N1 INFLUENZA OUTBREAK - CHINA SITREP # 13

Tags:  KFLU AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO TBIO KSAF KPAO PREL PINR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6765
RR RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHGH RUEHPB RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #1335/01 1381043
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181043Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4043
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP/ISA/AP//
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC//J2/J3/J5//
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J00/J2/J3/J5//
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
--------------------- ----------- ------------------------

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