HONG KONG H1N1 UPDATE (5/14) 2ND CASE CONFIRMED

UNCLAS HONG KONG 000887 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR TFFLU01M CA/OCS/EP, M/PRI/ SES-O, AAIT, OESIHA, MED, HHS FOR OGHA, CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID AND COUGH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AEMR AMGT ASEC CASC KFLO KFLU KPAO KSAF MG PINR, PREL, TBIO, HK, CH SUBJECT: HONG KONG H1N1 UPDATE (5/14) 2ND CASE CONFIRMED AMID ACCUSATIONS U.S. IS EXPORTING H1N1 REF: HONG KONG 843 1.(SBU) Summary and Action Request: HKG officials confirmed the second case of H1N1 in the territory on May 13, bringing to two the number of cases here to date. In response to this news, and a rising clamor in Hong Kong's press about the U.S. allegedly doing little to prevent the spread of of H1N1, Secretary of Health York Chow on May 13 publicly announced he had sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sebelius asking the U.S. to undertake more stringent measures to constrain the spread of the disease (retel). ConGen Hong Kong urgently requests Department work with HHS and other USG agencies to coordinate public and private responses to both the letter and the rather sharp anti-U.S. press allegations. End Summary and Action Request. ¶2. (SBU) HKG officials confirmed the second case of H1N1 in the territory on May 13, bringing to two the number of cases in Hong Kong to date (the first patient confirmed on 1 May with H1N1 has since recovered completely and been released). The second case is a 24-year old Hong Kong resident who returned to Hong Kong on May 11 aboard Cathay Pacific Flight CX879 from San Francisco. The patient developed symptoms before departing the U.S. but knowingly opted to travel anyway, reporting the ongoing illness symptoms upon entry to Hong Kong. The subject was immediately taken by ambulance to Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong's designated treatment center, where he remains in quarantine under a physician's care. As a precaution, 13 crew members and passengers aboard the same flight have been placed in a seven-day quarantine at Lady MacLehose Camp. They join a number of other aircraft passengers who transferred on flights from Japan to Hong Kong after sitting in proximity to four H1N1-confirmed Japanese nationals who tested positive after arriving in Tokyo on from the U.S. on May 8. This group, including all six U.S. citizens currently quarantined in Hong Kong, are scheduled for release on May 15. ¶3. (SBU) The second H1N1 confirmation comes on the heels of a rising chorus of reporting and editorials in Hong Kong's open press critical of the U.S. handling of the H1N1 outbreak. Citing the number of confirmed U.S. H1N1 cases, several articles have been published in the main stream media directly asking why the U.S. is not taking aggressive action to contain the virus within its borders and accusing the U.S. of "irresponsibly" exporting H1N1. In a likely response to such criticisms, some of which are coming directly from members of Hong Kong's Legislative Council (Legco),Hong Kong's Health Secretary York Chow sent an urgent letter to the U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services on May 13 asking the U.S. to consider more stringent exit screening measures to help prevent passengers carrying H1N1 from boarding flights. Chow concluded the letter by stating he planned on attending the annual assembly of the World Health Assembly (WHA) on Monday, May 18, where he hoped to discuss the matter directly with U.S. health officials. Chow told the public late on May 13 that he had sent the letter. He also faxed to Consulate General Hong Kong a copy, which we have sent to EAP/CM. DONOVAN