TFFLU01: MALAYSIA H1N1 UPDATE - MAY 18, 2009

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 000383 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR CA/OCS/EAP STATE FOR M/PRI FOR RMORRITZ STATE FOR S/ES-O/CMS FOR EPARRA STATE FOR EAP/MTS FOR DBISCHOF STATE FOR OES/AIAG FOR AMBASSSADOR LOFTIS, DWINN AND CPATTERSON STATE FOR REO/BKK FOR HHOWARD STATE FOR OES/IHB, AAIT, MED HHS FOR OGHA STEIGER AND HICKEY CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID AND COGH USDA FOR APHIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KFLU AEMR ASEC AMED CASC KFLO TBIO KSAF KPAO PREL PINR, AMGT, TF, MY SUBJECT: TFFLU01: MALAYSIA H1N1 UPDATE - MAY 18, 2009 REF: Kuala Lumpur 377 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Malaysia has two confirmed H1N1 cases as of COB May 18. The Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed the first case on May 15 (see reftel) and the second case on May 17. Both individuals are Malaysian citizens who traveled back to Malaysia together on the same flight after studying in the U.S. MOH has quarantined the individuals at government hospitals for at least seven days. Other passengers who had contact with these individuals have been placed under quarantine - at home for residents and in hospital for visitors including one AmCit. Post is preparing an updated warden message and management notice for Mission staff and dependents. END SUMMARY -------------- Confirmed Cases -------------- ¶2. (U) The second confirmed H1N1 case in Malaysia is a 21 year old female. She is a Malaysian citizen who had been studying in the U.S. She returned to Malaysia on May 13 aboard the same Malaysia Airlines flight MH091 as the first confirmed case - a 21 year old male. The two individuals are reportedly friends. While the male passenger stayed in the Kuala Lumpur area and was subsequently quarantined at Sungai Buloh hospital, one of the Ministry of Health's designated facilities, the female took Air Asia flight AK5358 from the Kuala Lumpur Low Cost Carrier Terminal to Penang. She was taken to a government hospital in Penang and placed under mandatory seven-day quarantine. Both individuals are reportedly doing well. -------------- Quarantining Policies -------------- ¶3. (U) The families of both confirmed cases have been placed under seven-day home quarantine. MOH has requested that all passengers aboard MH091 and AK5358 contact the ministry. The air crews and passengers have also been placed under home quarantine. However, 76 passengers from the two flights have still not contacted MOH. Ramlee B. Rahmat, Deputy Director General of Health, instructed state health departments to track these individuals down and impose quarantines if necessary under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988. ¶4. (SBU) Three AmCits traveled on MH091, one of whom voluntarily contacted MOH while driving toward Kuala Lumpur. He was told to stop where he was and an ambulance met him along the road and took him to a government hospital in Ipoh. He has been cleared of H1N1 through testing and has shown no symptoms. However, he will not be released from the hospital until Wednesday, May 20. MOH is covering the costs of his quarantine. While local residents have been placed under home quarantine, this AmCit is hospitalized because he has no other place to stay in Malaysia. There is no indication that he is being discriminated against for being American. Two other AmCits who traveled on the same flight have not yet come forward. MOH contacted Conoff for assistance in tracking down these individuals. Conoff informed MOH of the Privacy Act and agreed that if we heard from these AmCits, we would inform them to contact MOH. Post has not had any contact from these two AmCits. -------------- Screening and Testing -------------- ¶5. (U) Over 100,000 passengers have been screened at various ports of entry with no positive cases being discovered at the port. MOH is assisting in the rebooking of flights for passengers who miss connections due to screening. As of May 18, 102 suspected cases have been tested at the Malaysian Institute of Medical Research (IMR) with only the two positive cases. A WHO representative confirmed to ESTHoff that the IMR testing is reliable and there is KUALA LUMP 00000383 002 OF 002 no need for independent WHO confirmation of most test results. Malaysia is not currently sending samples to the WHO reference lab in Melbourne for confirmation. KEITH