BRAZIL H1N1 UPDATE - AUGUST 2009

UNCLAS BRASILIA 001081 DEPT FOR OES/IHB AMBASSADOR LOFTIS DEPT FOR WHA/BSC USDA PASS TO APHIS HHS PASS TO CDC HHS FOR OGHA SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KFLU CASC AEMR AMED ASEC KSAF PREL PINR AMGT KFLO, KPAO, BR SUBJECT: BRAZIL H1N1 UPDATE - AUGUST 2009 (U) THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED AND NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. ¶1. (SBU) This report provides an update on developments in Brazil regarding the H1N1 flu outbreak. OVERALL SITUATION ¶2. (SBU) H1N1 flu has caused a considerable amount of concern among the Brazilian population. Doctors anecdotally report that their patients are coming in for minor cold and allergy symptoms (which are exceedingly common during this time of year) fearing that they may have contracted H1N1 flu. In general, doctors are performing an initial clinical screening, which eliminates the majority of suspect cases. Those that are not eliminated by this screening have an actual flu test performed to concretely diagnose their case. Generally, hospitals and clinics will isolate a patient during the initial screening and in some cases until the results of the flu test are received. According to the Ministry of Health, between April 25 and August 22 the results of 30,854 flu tests were reported by state and local health authorities. Of these tests, 16.9% tested positive for H1N1, while 2.9% tested positive for seasonal flu. The remaining cases were negative for any type of influenza. ¶3. (SBU) As of August 22 there have been 557 deaths in Brazil attributed to H1N1 flu. This number has risen quickly in recent weeks; though the rapid increase is due to a clearing of the testing backlog rather than an increase in the infection rate. According to the Ministry of Health the severity of H1N1 - based on the symptoms it causes, the severity to which the symptoms are felt, the frequency with which they appear, and the frequency with which hospitalization is required - in Brazil is statistically indistinguishable from the severity of the seasonal flu. The Ministry's statistics also indicate that the rate of infection for both H1N1 and season flu is declining as the flu season is nearing an end. IMPACT ON AMCIT COMMUNITY AND THE U.S. MISSION ¶4. (SBU) In mid-July a member of the Mission's local guard force was diagnosed with a case of H1N1 flu. Additionally, the American School of Brasilia (EAB) has temporarily suspended all of its fifth grade classes. This action was undertaken after several students in the fifth grade were suspected of having cases of H1N1. EAB is the school in which most of the Embassy children are enrolled. In Sao Paulo many schools, including the three that Consulate children attend, delayed the resumption of classes following the July holiday break by up to two weeks as a preventative measure against the spread of H1N1. Most classes resumed the week of August 17. KUBISKE