GERMANY H1N1 FLU UPDATE: 172 CONFIRMED CASES

UNCLAS BERLIN 000714 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: 172 CONFIRMED CASES REF: A) Berlin 710, B) Berlin 704, C) Berlin 695, D) Berlin 686, E) Berlin 672, F) Berlin 663, G) Berlin 657, H) Berlin 641, I) Berlin 626, J) Berlin 545, K) Berlin 537, L) Berlin 526, M) Berlin 518, N) Berlin 512, O) Berlin 495, P) Berlin 488 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The number of H1N1 cases in Germany rose to 172 on June 15, as fifty-six more people were confirmed to be infected with the new virus over the weekend. The day also brought the first confirmed H1N1 case in Berlin. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) On June 15, the National Reference Center for Influenza at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced in its press briefing fifty-six new laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 in Germany. This increases the total number of confirmed cases in Germany to 172. The new cases were distributed among the federal states as follows: North Rhine-Westphalia (45), Baden-Wuerttemberg (2),Brandenburg (1),Hesse (3),Bavaria (2),Saxony (1) and Lower-Saxony (2). Rapid Increase in Infections -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Following the cases noted in Ref A, RKI reported five new cases on June 12, raising that day's tally to 116. The rate of infections rapidly increased over the weekend, spiking with 52 new cases on June 13 and increasing the number of infections to 168. Four more cases were confirmed on Monday, June 15, raising the total cases to 172. ¶4. (SBU) The majority of new confirmed cases in North Rhine- Westphalia involve children at the Japanese international school in Duesseldorf (Ref A, B) who tested positive for H1N1 last week. As reported in Ref B, the school has been temporarily closed to minimize the risk of further transmission to other children. The media also reported about a 33-year old man from Cottbus (Brandenburg) who was confirmed to have the virus. He reportedly returned from a trip to the US with flu-like symptoms at the beginning of June. Health officials from Brandenburg report that he and his family are under quarantine at home. First H1N1 case in Berlin -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The State Laboratory Berlin-Brandeburg (LLBB) confirmed over the weekend a 23-year old woman from Treptow- Koepenick (Berlin) to be infected with the virus. The woman returned from a trip to Duesseldorf over the weekend and showed flu-like symptoms. She had not traveled outside the country. She went to the hospital Saturday in Berlin, where the virus was detected. Media report that the woman and her family are under quarantine at home, with a mild course of the virus. This represents the first confirmed case of H1N1 for the Federal State of Berlin. ¶6. (SBU) The Berlin Senate for Health, Environment and Consumer confirmed on June 15 that the state has antiviral medication to treat 20% of its population (680,000 units). Despite the relatively low number of confirmed cases in the capital city, health officials from the Berlin Senate have advised the population to start buying mouth protection masks. KOENIG