FIRST FATALITY FROM H1N1 CONFIRMED IN THE WEST BANK

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001392

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NEA FOR NEA/IPA; OES/IB FOR WINN; DEPT PASS TO USAID FOR
ANE/MEA:MCCLOUD/BORODIN; DEPT PASS TO USDA; HHS FOR CDC AND
OGHA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR EAID ECON KWBG SENV TBIO KFLU
SUBJECT: FIRST FATALITY FROM H1N1 CONFIRMED IN THE WEST BANK


1. (SBU) Summary: Palestinian Authority (PA) Ministry of
Health officials confirmed that the first death in the West
Bank from H1N1 occurred on August 7. A 34-year-old man
contracted flu-like symptoms during a pilgrimage to SAUDI
Arabia. Upon his return, he was diagnosed with H1N1 at a
Ramallah hospital but died within 24 hours of being admitted.
End summary.


2. (SBU) The General Director of Primary Health Care and
Public Health in the PA Ministry of Health (MoH),Dr. Assad
Ramlawi, told Econoff on August 10 that the 34-year-old
Palestinian man was on the hajj to Mecca when he exhibited
flu-like symptoms. He consulted private doctors in SAUDI
Arabia and Jordan, neither of whom accurately diagnosed his
condition. He returned to the West Bank and was admitted to
the hospital on August 6. A few hours after he was admitted,
the hospital confirmed his diagnosis as H1N1. However, he
had already contracted a severe case of pneumonia, with both
lungs seriously infected, and he died on August 7.


3. (SBU) The MoH has reported 92 cases of H1N1 in the West
Bank. The PA has not instituted any new measures concerning
H1N1 since the August 7 death, according to the MoH. PA
officials are monitoring travelers returning from SAUDI
Arabia, however, since they suspect the virus is more
widespread there.


4. (SBU) The MoH launched a public awareness campaign about
H1N1 in May, hanging 20,000 posters in cities, placing public
announcements on radio and television, providing travelers
with informational pamphlets, and establishing a hotline.
The MoH also trained its staff to identify H1N1 symptoms and
respond to reported cases appropriately. According to
Ramlawi, the informational hotline ran 24/7 during May, June,
and July, and fielded approximately 20,000 calls. In August,
the daily number of calls dropped from an average of 250 to
25, and the MoH reduced the hotline to eight hours per day.
Ramlawi said that the number of calls to the hotline has not
increased since the announcement of the first fatality from
H1N1.
WALLES