Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BERLIN582
2009-05-18 14:28:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Berlin
Cable title:
GERMANY H1N1 FLU UPDATE: 14 CONFIRMED CASES
how-toVZCZCXRO7029 RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDF RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHTM RUEHTRO DE RUEHRL #0582 1381428 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 181428Z MAY 09 FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4124 INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0336 RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT 7996 RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHINGTON DC RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0740 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1460
UNCLAS BERLIN 000582
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/CE PETER SCHROEDER
STATE FOR OES/IHB
STATE FOR AID/GH/HIDN
USDA PASS TO APHIS
HHS PASS TO CDC
HHS FOR OGHA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU ECON PREL SOCI CASC EAGR MX GM
SUBJECT: GERMANY H1N1 FLU UPDATE: 14 CONFIRMED CASES
REF: A) Berlin 545, B) Berlin 537, C) Berlin 526, D) Berlin
518, E) Berlin 512, F) Berlin 495, G) Berlin 488
UNCLAS BERLIN 000582
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/CE PETER SCHROEDER
STATE FOR OES/IHB
STATE FOR AID/GH/HIDN
USDA PASS TO APHIS
HHS PASS TO CDC
HHS FOR OGHA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU ECON PREL SOCI CASC EAGR MX GM
SUBJECT: GERMANY H1N1 FLU UPDATE: 14 CONFIRMED CASES
REF: A) Berlin 545, B) Berlin 537, C) Berlin 526, D) Berlin
518, E) Berlin 512, F) Berlin 495, G) Berlin 488
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On May 15, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI)
confirmed two additional cases of A/H1N1 Influenza in Germany,
increasing the total number of confirmed cases to fourteen.
The spouse and son of a man from the state of Saxony-Anhalt
confirmed to have the virus two weeks ago also tested positive
for H1N1. These individuals represent the third and fourth
cases of human-to-human infection of the virus in Germany.
END SUMMARY.
Two New Cases of H1N1 in Saxony-Anhalt
--------------
¶2. (SBU) The National Reference Center for Influenza at the
Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on Friday, May 15 two
additional laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 for Germany.
This increases the total number of confirmed cases in Germany
to fourteen (please see reftels for previous cases).
¶3. (SBU) The spouse and son of a man from the state of Saxony-
Anhalt who was confirmed to have the virus two weeks ago, also
tested positive for H1N1. RKI reported that the spouse had
also traveled to Mexico but the son had not. Neither
previously exhibited any flu symptoms. According to local
media, both had taken anti-viral medicine. RKI announced that
both were tested as part of a scientific investigation of
household contacts of confirmed virus cases. This is the
fourth confirmed case of A/H1N1 for the federal state of
Saxony-Anhalt (other Saxony-Anhalt cases reported in Refs C
and D).
Third and Fourth Cases of Human-to-Human Infection
--------------
--------------
¶4. (SBU) Local media report these cases as Germany?s third and
fourth examples of human-to-human infection of the virus. In
the two new confirmed virus cases, both Germans became
infected with the A/H1N1 virus after having had contact with
the Saxony-Anhalt man confirmed to have the virus.
Previously, a nurse and a fellow patient from Bavaria (neither
of whom had been to Mexico) had become infected with the
A/H1N1 virus after having contact with a patient hospitalized
and confirmed to have H1N1 (Ref 512). However, RKI reaffirmed
that all of the cases to date are considered mild.
KOENIG