Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BERLIN762
2009-06-24 15:41:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Berlin
Cable title:
GERMANY H1N1 FLU UPDATE: 332 CONFIRMED CASES
how-toVZCZCXRO8034 RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDF RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHSL RUEHTM RUEHTRO DE RUEHRL #0762 1751541 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 241541Z JUN 09 FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4433 INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 9954 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0361 RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT 8065 RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE USD FAS WASHINGTON DC 0122 RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0773 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1492
UNCLAS BERLIN 000762
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: 332 CONFIRMED CASES
REF: A) Berlin 754, B) Berlin 747 and previous.
UNCLAS BERLIN 000762
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: 332 CONFIRMED CASES
REF: A) Berlin 754, B) Berlin 747 and previous.
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The number of H1N1 cases in Germany rose to
332 on June 24, as thirty-one new infections were confirmed.
State HEALTH Ministers are meeting today in Thuringia to
discuss H1N1 situation. Chancellor Merkel visited the Robert
Koch Institute (RKI) on June 23 and assured that the country
is well-prepared for wider spread of the virus. END SUMMARY.
2. (SBU) On June 24, the National Reference Center for
Influenza at RKI announced in its press
briefing 31 new laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 for
Germany. This increases the total number of confirmed cases
in Germany to 332 (Refs A, B and previous). The new cases
were distributed among the federal states as follows: North
Rhine-Westphalia (14),Baden-Wuerttemberg (11),Bavaria (3),
Rhineland Palatinate (1),Schleswig-Holstein (1) and Lower-
Saxony (1).
3. (SBU) Fourteen of the 31 newly confirmed cases reported
today occurred in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). NRW remains
the state showing the highest number of infections among all
the German states with 160 confirmed cases, followed by
Bavaria (47 cases) and Baden-Wuerttemberg (44 cases). The
Federal State of Saarland remains the only state without
confirmed virus cases. The number of confirmed infections
resulting from domestic transmission of the virus now sits at
178.
Chancellor says Germany well-prepared
--------------
4. (SBU) RKI officials said there are signs that indicate the
A/H1N1 virus was mutating, warning a more aggressive form of
the infection could soon start to spread world-wide. However,
after a visit to RKI in Berlin on June 23, German Chancellor
Angela Merkel said that the country is "well prepared" for
such a scenario. According to Merkel, the German government
is in contact with the international community to address the
issue. The Chancellor also said that the only currently
unresolved domestic preparation issues relate to vaccination
procedures in the event of wider spread.
Health Minister's Conference
--------------
5. (SBU) The HEALTH Ministers of the 16 federal states
reportedly are meeting on June 24 in Erfurt (Thuringia) to
discuss further measures to address the flu, including
countermeasures such as vaccinating the entire German
population.
KOENIG
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: 332 CONFIRMED CASES
REF: A) Berlin 754, B) Berlin 747 and previous.
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The number of H1N1 cases in Germany rose to
332 on June 24, as thirty-one new infections were confirmed.
State HEALTH Ministers are meeting today in Thuringia to
discuss H1N1 situation. Chancellor Merkel visited the Robert
Koch Institute (RKI) on June 23 and assured that the country
is well-prepared for wider spread of the virus. END SUMMARY.
2. (SBU) On June 24, the National Reference Center for
Influenza at RKI announced in its press
briefing 31 new laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 for
Germany. This increases the total number of confirmed cases
in Germany to 332 (Refs A, B and previous). The new cases
were distributed among the federal states as follows: North
Rhine-Westphalia (14),Baden-Wuerttemberg (11),Bavaria (3),
Rhineland Palatinate (1),Schleswig-Holstein (1) and Lower-
Saxony (1).
3. (SBU) Fourteen of the 31 newly confirmed cases reported
today occurred in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). NRW remains
the state showing the highest number of infections among all
the German states with 160 confirmed cases, followed by
Bavaria (47 cases) and Baden-Wuerttemberg (44 cases). The
Federal State of Saarland remains the only state without
confirmed virus cases. The number of confirmed infections
resulting from domestic transmission of the virus now sits at
178.
Chancellor says Germany well-prepared
--------------
4. (SBU) RKI officials said there are signs that indicate the
A/H1N1 virus was mutating, warning a more aggressive form of
the infection could soon start to spread world-wide. However,
after a visit to RKI in Berlin on June 23, German Chancellor
Angela Merkel said that the country is "well prepared" for
such a scenario. According to Merkel, the German government
is in contact with the international community to address the
issue. The Chancellor also said that the only currently
unresolved domestic preparation issues relate to vaccination
procedures in the event of wider spread.
Health Minister's Conference
--------------
5. (SBU) The HEALTH Ministers of the 16 federal states
reportedly are meeting on June 24 in Erfurt (Thuringia) to
discuss further measures to address the flu, including
countermeasures such as vaccinating the entire German
population.
KOENIG