MGSF01: H1N1 FLU AND BRAZIL: SITREP #3

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 000530 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 KSTH CASC ECON EAGR AEMR ASEC KSAF KFLO KPAO, PREL, PINR, AMGT, MG, BR SUBJECT: MGSF01: H1N1 FLU AND BRAZIL: SITREP #3 BRASILIA 00000530 001.2 OF 002 (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. NEW REPORTED CASES: ¶2. (SBU) The Health Ministry still has not confirmed any cases of H1N1 flu in Brazil. As of the afternoon of April 29 the Brazilian Health Ministry and National Agency on Health Vigilance (ANVISA) are monitoring 25 suspected cases of H1N1 flu infections within the country. These cases are spread throughout 11 states in Brazil and are related to travel between Brazil and Mexico or the United States. BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT'S RECENT ACTIONS: ¶3. (SBU) The Brazilian Government and the Brazilian press continue to emphasize to the public that consuming well-cooked pork meat poses no risk of contracting the H1N1 flu. The Brazilian Health Ministry announced that it has 90 million doses of medicine stored that can be used to combat flu symptoms. In addition, the Health Ministry announced that it will obtain 54,000 doses of Tamiflu as a precaution. The Health Ministry also called upon the Association of Brazilian Travel Agencies (ABAV) to help them to better inform tourists about the H1N1 flu outbreak. The Health Ministry reaffirmed during this meeting that Brazil has no immediate intentions to restrict travel to and from affected areas. ANVISA did state, however, that it will increase its monitoring and inspecting of planes coming in from Spain, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. It already was doing this with respect to planes from Mexico, Canada and the United States. ¶4. (SBU) On April 28 President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva went on television and radio to calm the public. He said that Brazil was prepared to address this problem. Also he noted that there was no reason to spread fear because the H1N1 flu had yet to arrive in Brazil. ¶5. (SBU) The Brazilian newspaper "O Estado de Sao Paulo" reported today that amid talk of potential international cooperation on developing a vaccine for this new H1N1 strain there are also warning signs of an obstacle to international cooperation. The paper quotes "diplomats" as saying that Brazil, Indonesia, and Malaysia continue to complain to the World Health Organization that they are being requested to provide virus samples but do not receive any financial benefit from any resulting vaccines or drugs developed from these samples. According to this article, this access and benefit sharing issue could cause tensions to flare as the world seeks to develop quickly a vaccine for this new threat. ¶6. (SBU) In a meeting at the Guarulhos International Airport in Sao Paulo on April 28, officials from the Brazilian Government met with officials from the Brazilian Airport Infrastructure Company (INFRAERO),the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC),and ANVISA to discuss ways to prevent the spread of the influenza to Brazil. During this meeting officials established several directives: the airlines would be required to report cases of travelers who were coughing and experiencing fevers higher than 38 degrees centigrade (100.4 Fahrenheit); the Ministry of Exterior Relations (MRE) would impose no travel restrictions on Mexico and the United States; and arriving passengers who are suspected of being infected will be subjected to exit procedures for the treatment of any person suspected of carrying an infectious disease. NOTE: This last directive does not establish exactly what is to be done with such a passenger, and how long these procedures should take. Additionally, many of the guidelines and suggestions seemed to be made haphazardly, perhaps reflecting that the government is still trying to determine the correct approach to this threat. END NOTE. ¶7. (SBU) During the meeting, a Mexican airline representative asked ANVISA Director General Jose Alvarez da Silva why officials at GRU had not implemented procedures similar to the ones implemented in airports in Mexico, the United States and Canada. Da Silva opined BRASILIA 00000530 002.2 OF 002 that if the outbreak had started in Brazil those countries would have already closed their airports to Brazilian air traffic. DEVELOPMENTS WITH MISSION BRAZIL: ¶8. (SBU) The H1N1 Flu working group for Mission Brazil met again this morning to coordinate efforts to foster preventative measures against a potential H1N1 outbreak within the Mission. Post's Environment, Science and Technology, and Health (ESTH) Counselor and ESTH Officer met with Health Ministry officials to underscore the intense USG interest in developments and to ensure open lines of communication in case the situation worsens. SOBEL