H1N1 UPDATE: 7,177 CONFIRMED CASES

UNCLAS BERLIN 000937 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: H1N1 UPDATE: 7,177 CONFIRMED CASES REF: A) Berlin 925, B) Berlin 917 and previous. ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: The number of H1N1 infections in Germany rose by 377 cases to a total of 7,177 on August 4. The majority of new infections occurred abroad. Some of Germany's Federal States are considering extending school summer vacations in for school breaks. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) The National Reference Center for Influenza at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced in its press briefing on August 4, 377 new (laboratory and non-laboratory) confirmed cases of H1N1. This increases the total number of H1N1 cases to 7,177. New cases were distributed among the federal states: North Rhine-Westphalia (148),Lower-Saxony (84), Bavaria (57),Hamburg (24),Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (21), Rhineland-Palatinate (18),Brandenburg (9),Berlin (8),Baden- Wuerttemberg (5),Saxony (2) and Hesse (1). ¶3. (U) According to RKI, the increase in the number of infections is mainly due to people returning from travel abroad (287 new cases which represents 76 percent). Newly confirmed cases include laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 as well as non-laboratory-confirmed cases, mainly from people who have showed symptoms after being in contact with a patient who has been tested positive at a labor for the new virus. So far, all cases are reportedly mild. ¶4. (U) North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) remains the German state with the highest number of virus cases among all German states with a total of 2,782, followed by Lower-Saxony (1306) and Baden-Wuerttemberg (679 cases). Less than 22 percent (1515) of all confirmed infections in Germany have resulted from domestic transmission. Discussion over longer school breaks -------------- ¶5. (U) A number of Germany's federal states are considering extending the summer school breaks due to concerns over the spread of H1N1. Media reports indicate that the health ministry of North Rhine-Westphalia is considering keeping schools closed beyond August 18, the regular start of school, to slow the spread of the virus. About 39 percent of all confirmed virus cases in Germany occurred in North Rhine Westphalia. A decision is expected next week. The Berlin Senate Administration for Health does not consider an extension of the summer break at this point in time but will observe the situation and decide in the new future. BRADTKE