GERMANY H1N1 FLU UPDATE: 548 CONFIRMED CASES

UNCLAS BERLIN 000817 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: 548 CONFIRMED CASES REF: A) Berlin 812, B) Berlin 808 and previous. ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The net number of H1N1 infections in Germany rose by 21 cases to a total of 548 on July 7. Berlin confirms more infections. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) The National Reference Center for Influenza at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced in its press briefing July 7 a total of 25 new laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1, and subtracted four previously confirmed cases. This net increase of twenty-one cases brings the total number of virus cases in Germany to 548. Four H1N1 infections previously confirmed in the states of Schleswig-Holstein and Bavaria were rescinded. ¶3. (SBU) North Rhine-Westphalia remains the state with the highest number of virus cases among all German states with a total of 265, followed by Baden-Wuerttemberg (78) and Bavaria (62 cases). The Federal State of Saarland remains the only state without confirmed virus cases. Over half (307) of all confirmed infections in Germany have resulted from domestic transmission. ¶4. (SBU) Media reports indicate that the number of infected students at the Alexander von Humboldt Gymnasium in Berlin has incrQsed to a total of twelve. As reported in Ref A, the school will remain closed for this week. Berlin health officials said that a total of 80 students have been tested and results are expected shortly. A school in the Bavarian city of Bayreuth will also remain closed this week as two students tested positive for the virus. In addition, five laboratory workers at the Dresden university hospital have reportedly been diagnosed with the virus. In all confirmed virus infections that we are aware of, the symptoms are reportedly mild. KOENIG