BELGIUM: H1N1: THREE NEW CASES REPORTED, BRINGING

UNCLAS BRUSSELS 000776 SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/IHB STATE PASS USTR JANE DOHERTY STATE PASS USAID STATE PASS HHS/NIH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KFLU AEMR ASEC AMED CASC KFLO TBIO KSAF KPAO PREL, PINR, AMGT, TF, BE SUBJECT: BELGIUM: H1N1: THREE NEW CASES REPORTED, BRINGING TOTAL TO THIRTEEN REF: BRUSSELS 748 ¶1. (U) Belgium has now reported 13 confirmed cases of H1N1, with two new cases reported May 30 and another, on June 1, involving the son of one of the May 30 cases. Health authorities consider all three cases mild. Belgium has tested approximately 190 persons for H1N1 as of June 3. CASE ELEVEN ¶2. (U) A man from the Limbourg region of Flanders was reported as the 11th case. He left Costa Rica on Saturday, May 23 and returned to Belgium via Madrid. Authorities believe he was probably seated next to a contagious passenger on one of his flights. He fell ill on the evening of May 26 but did not contact his doctor until Friday, May 29. The doctor had a lab test performed which came back positive for H1N1 on May 30. Health authorities believe the man was not contagious during his air travel, but since he likely contracted the virus during his flight, they have decided to try to contact any other Belgian passengers on the flight, and names of passengers from other countries on the passenger list will be sent to health authorities of their country. The nine people with whom the man had close contact since returning to Belgium are being treated preventively with antiviral medications. Health authorities decided the man did not need to be hospitalized so he is remaining at home, in isolation, under a doctor,s watch. CASE TWELVE ¶3. (U) Authorities said the twelfth case involvs a young man from the Flemish Brabant region who returned to Belgium from New York on May 29. The man was not feeling well before his flight and upon his return contacted his doctor, who had him tested immediately. Upon the positive result, the patient was transferred to Brussels, Saint Pierre hospital. The one person with whom the patient had had close contact since returning to Belgium is being treated with antivirals. CASE THIRTEEN ¶4. (U) On June 1, health authorities announced that the son of the eleventh positive case also had tested positive for H1N1, on June 1. Before showing symptoms, the child had had a music lesson at a local academy; as a precautionary measure, all eleven students and the instructor with whom the child had contact are being treated with antivirals and are avoiding contact with others. Others with whom the child had more distant contact are being asked to monitor their health for any possible symptoms. The child is being treated at home, under a doctor,s watch. .