SERBIA - FIRST CASE OF H1N1 INFLUENZA CONFIRMED

UNCLAS BELGRADE 000579 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KFLU AEMR PREL CASC PINR AMGT SR SUBJECT: SERBIA - FIRST CASE OF H1N1 INFLUENZA CONFIRMED REF: STATE 45269 ¶1. Serbia confirmed its first case of H1N1 Influenza A, on June 25. According to media reports, the infected patient is a 29-year-old male who recently returned from Argentina. Predrag Kon, the chairman of the Health Ministry's working group on pandemic response, told the media that the patient was put in isolation in Belgrade's Institute for Infectious and Tropical Disease and was in stable condition. Since his return to Serbia, the patient reported contact with 23 people, most of whom have been tested, and all test results were negative. ¶2. Serbia's Health Ministry was closely monitoring the situation and was in constant contact with the World Health Organization, Assistant Health Minster Svetlana Mijatovic told us on June 25. Serbia currently had enough anti-viral medication (Tamiflu) to cover 1% of the population and was in the process of increasing the supply to cover 3% of the population, Mijatovic said. The Ministry would continue to monitor the situation very closely in preparation for two large international events held in Serbia in early July, the University Olympics and the Exit Music Festival. ¶3. We have updated the Embassy's existing Warden Message about H1N1, and sent it to CA/OCS for clearance, in response to the confirmed case of H1N1 influenza in Serbia. BRUSH