Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BERLIN889
2009-07-23 11:58:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Berlin
Cable title:
GERMANY H1N1 UPDATE: 2,455 CONFIRMED CASES
how-toVZCZCXRO5249 RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDF RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHSL RUEHTM RUEHTRO DE RUEHRL #0889 2041158 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 231158Z JUL 09 FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4682 INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0051 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0382 RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT 8111 RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE USD FAS WASHINGTON DC 0148 RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0805 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1516
UNCLAS BERLIN 000889
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 UPDATE: 2,455 CONFIRMED CASES
REF: A) Berlin 884, B) Berlin 880 and previous.
UNCLAS BERLIN 000889
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 UPDATE: 2,455 CONFIRMED CASES
REF: A) Berlin 884, B) Berlin 880 and previous.
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: The net number of H1N1 infections in Germany
rose by 637 cases to a total of 2,455 on July 23. The
majority of new infections occurred abroad, mainly during
travel to
Spain. Experts expect more severe cases of the infection.
END SUMMARY.
¶2. (U) At its July 23 press briefing, the National Reference
Center for Influenza at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI)
announced 638 new laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 and
subtracted one previously confirmed case in Schleswig-
Holstein. This net increase of 637 cases brings the total to
2,455. New cases were distributed among fifteen federal
states: Schleswig-Holstein (-1),North Rhine-Westphalia (340),
Lower-Saxony (94),Baden-Wuerttemberg (29),Bavaria (83),
Rhineland-Palatinate (15),Berlin (14),Saxony (13),Saxony-
Anhalt (12),Hesse (11),Saarland (10),Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
(9),Bremen (3),Thuringia (3),Hamburg (1),and Brandenburg
(1).
¶3. (U) North Rhine-Westphalia remains the state with the
highest number of virus cases among all German states with a
total of 943 followed by Lower-Saxony (516) and Baden-
Wuerttemberg (249 cases). Less than 30 percent (618) of all
confirmed infections in Germany have resulted from domestic
transmission.
Increase Mainly due to Holiday Returnees
--------------
¶4. (U) According to RKI, 528 of the 637 new cases were found
in people returning from vacation, primarily from Spain.
More Severe Cases of Infections Expected
--------------
¶5. (U) RKI expects more severe cases of the new virus in
Germany. Vice-president Reinhard Burger told media that an
increase in the number of cases in turn increases the
likelihood of finding more severe cases, similar to what other
countries have experienced. He said that at this point in
time, it is not clear why certain infections are mild and
others are fatal.
BRADTKE