Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BUENOSAIRES806
2009-07-08 22:20:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Buenos Aires
Cable title:  

ARGENTINA: H1N1 EPICENTER OF THE WORLD

Tags:  TBIO SOCI PGOV PREL AMED ELAB AR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0012
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0806/01 1892220
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 082220Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4046
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000806 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR OES/IHB - P. MURPHY AND D. WILUSZ

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO SOCI PGOV PREL AMED ELAB AR

SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: H1N1 EPICENTER OF THE WORLD

REF: BUENOS AIRES 0778

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000806

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR OES/IHB - P. MURPHY AND D. WILUSZ

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO SOCI PGOV PREL AMED ELAB AR

SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: H1N1 EPICENTER OF THE WORLD

REF: BUENOS AIRES 0778


1. SUMMARY: A Mexican H1N1 expert believes that Argentina is now
the epicenter of the worldwide H1N1 pandemic. To aggressively
counteract the disease's spread, a consortium of Argentine health
experts and officials agree to standardize treatment with
oseltamivir. In preparation, hundreds of thousands of treatments
have been ordered. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) donated
120,000 treatments to Argentina this week. Although the incidence
of H1N1 appears to be declining in the capital city, it appears to
be on the rise in the provinces. Emergency declarations at
different levels of government and their health effects are
inconsistent, although the negative economic ripple-effect is felt
countrywide. The GOA is finally seen to be starting to catch up
with the virus' spread and treatment, inviting Mission
representatives to a briefing on its efforts on July 8 END
SUMMARY.

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Mexican H1N1 Expert Visits Argentina
--------------


2. Mexican infectious disease specialist Alejandro Macias, one of
the coordinators of the Mexican H1N1 emergency committee, has
characterized Argentina as the current center of the H1N1 pandemic.
His visit to Argentina has two purposes: to collaborate with
Argentine infectious disease colleagues and to learn about the
virus' development here in order to prepare for next year's
influenza season in Mexico. He said the scenario in Argentina will
provide insight to next winter's influenza season in the northern
hemisphere.

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National Treatment Regime Established
--------------


3. Newly appointed National Minister of Health Juan Luis Manzur,
after a meeting of the Argentine Federal Health Council that groups
health authorities from the 23 provinces and the City of Buenos
Aires, announced a new treatment regime. All patients older than 15
with acute respiratory illness and a temperature of more than 38
degrees centigrade will be administered the antiviral treatment
oseltamivir. The Minister opposes a blanket shutdown of public

places to combat the H1N1 flu strain. However, the Government of
Argentina (GOA) has declared Friday, July 10, as a "sanitary" day
off from work for federal employees. Some provinces are complying
with their own cancellations. Coupled with Thursday's Independence
Day holiday, this "sandwich day" would create a four-day weekend to
further mitigate contagion. In contrast, the City of Buenos Aires
has declined to declare a similar holiday. An informal poll of
Embassies shows a mixed response, with some to remain open and some
to close. After consultations with the Ministries of Foreign
Affairs and Health, the U.S. Embassy will remain open.

--------------
Current Status of H1N1 Cases
--------------


4. The most recent official data refer to 2485 confirmed cases and
70 deaths attributed to H1N1. Press reports today indicate 79 H1N1
deaths. Minister Manzur said that 90% of current influenza cases
are H1N1. He infers from the limited figures currently available
that an estimated 105,000 individuals have been infected with
influenza this season so far, and estimates that 340,000 individuals
will be infected by the end of the season. He said the GOA has
already distributed 300,000 oseltamivir treatments. An additional
120,000 from the U.S. National Strategic Stockpile provided by CDC
under the auspices of Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) will
arrive this week. Another 500,000 treatments are expected from
other sources shortly. The Minister claims the existing stock and
scheduled shipment of antiviral treatments is enough to cover demand
but one report says the GOA is trying to renegotiate the date of
delivery earlier than mid-August as originally planned. The GOA
currently controls virtually all oseltamivir in the country. It has
promised to make the drug available commercially in pharmacies but
Marcelo Peretta, head of the Argentine Union of Pharmacies and
Biochemists, said last week that the private sector had so far
received only 24,000 treatments. As of today, none were available
in local pharmacies.

--------------
Local Health Facilities
--------------


5. Visits to local hospital outpatient clinics in the Buenos Aires
metropolitan region have declined this past week along with fewer
pediatric cases in Intensive Care Units, and physicians are
cautiously optimistic that this indicates a positive trend.
However, this could also be a result of people afraid of going to
hospitals for consultations and calling doctors for house visits or
prescriptions. Responding to the increased need for beds to treat
influenza cases, hospitals have suspended elective surgeries. As a
precaution, they have asked high risk hospital workers such as
pregnant women to stay at home. The Children's Hospital has set up
a separate outpatient facility for those suspected of having
influenza, and a separate ward dedicated to flu cases. A field
hospital with two dozen beds has been set up, but to date has not
been needed. The outbreak appears to be stabilizing in the Buenos
Aires metro area, but anecdotal reports suggest that it is picking
up in other areas of the country. Doctors agree that the great
majority of cases are mild and can be treated as outpatients.

--------------
Health Emergency Declaration Not Needed, But...
--------------


6. The GOA has been criticized for its delay in declaring a
national health emergency, something the previous Minister of
Health, Graciela Ocana, had urged. Current Minister of Health
Manzur says the federal government does not need to declare an
emergency because the administrative emergency that has been on the
books since 2002 is sufficient to distribute necessary funds faster
than normal. Nonetheless, lawsuits have been filed against
President Cristina Kirchner and Governor of Buenos Aires Daniel
Scioli. They have been accused of negligence for hiding
information, providing false data on the number of infected
citizens, and disregarding recommendations by international
organizations such as the World Health Organization. The plaintiff
has requested that the Congress summon former Minister of Health
Graciela Ocana to testify about rumors that despite several
requests, the President declined to suspend public gatherings and
the June 28 elections or to take additional preventative measures.
The suit says the lack of action constitutes a criminal offense that
caused unnecessary deaths.

--------------
Economic Effects of Declarations
--------------


7. Mitigation measures are starting to affect the economy.
Tourism hot spots such as Iguazu Falls, which typically receive
substantial income during the austral winter holidays, are seeing
declines of up to 70 percent in reservations compared to the
previous year. Theatre Association members decided to close for ten
days. Cinemas will remain open, but are experiencing a 33% drop in
attendance during a period when they usually do their best business.


--------------
Comment
--------------


8. Health authorities are taking aggressive measures against the
spread of H1N1, but the lack of overall coordination of efforts on
local, provincial and national levels is resulting in mixed,
occasionally contradictory messages that are causing confusion. The
meeting held by the Argentine Federal Health Council earlier this
week which standardized influenza treatment countrywide and a
comprehensive briefing today for Embassy officials by the Ministry
of Health are positive indications that the GOA may be turning the
corner in its efforts to provide a coordinated response to the H1N1
outbreak here."

KELLY