C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000498

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, OES/UHB, MED, AIAG
STATE PASS TO AID
HHS FOR OGHA
HHS PASS TO CDC
USDA PASS TO APHIS
AMMAN FOR ESTH HUB OFFICER
BAGHDAD FOR ESTH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/16/2019
TAGS: KFLU AEMR ASEC AMED CASC KFLO TBIO KSAF KPAO
PREL, PINR, AMGT, TF, KU
SUBJECT: TFFLU01: KUWAIT: EIGHT CASES CONFIRMED AMONG
TRANSITING U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL

REF: A. KUWAIT 455

B. KUWAIT 449

Classified By: DCM Alan Misenheimer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: Subsequent to close coordination between Post
and U.S. miloffs in Kuwait and an exchange of letters between
Ambassador and the acting Health Minister pertaining to
screening of U.S. military personnel arriving in Kuwait (ref
A), miloffs informed Emboffs May 15 that eight cases of H1N1
influenza had been confirmed among servicemen transiting
Kuwait. The eight affected individuals, together with 18
other servicemen from the same charter flight, were
sequestered, monitored and treated at Camp Buehring, and all
have since recovered and returned to active duty. Ambassador
informed acting Health Minister Dr. Moudhi Al-Homoud May 17;
the Minister agreed that, going forward, U.S. servicemen and
women with suspected or confirmed H1N1 influenza would be
quarantined and treated at DoD facilities in Kuwait. The
Minister asked that the Embassy and U.S. military elements
maintain the fact of H1N1 presence among U.S. military in
Kuwait extremely close hold. End Summary.


2. (C) Senior Army Central Command (ARCENT) officers informed
Ambassador and Emboffs May 15 that ARCENT had confirmed that
eight servicemen had H1N1 influenza. The eight individuals
arrived at Kuwait City's military air base on a commercial
charter flight on May 1; the soldiers were previously
stationed at Fort Bliss, TX. According to ARCENT medical
officers, 26 passengers on this flight were sequestered at
Camp Buehring based on the symptoms they exhibited upon
arrival. ARCENT medical officers dispatched 23 samples to
the Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU-3) in Cairo. On May
13, NAMRU provided written confirmation to ARCENT that eight
of the individuals had had H1N1 Influenza. According to
ARCENT medical officers on May 17, all eight servicemen had
mild cases, had recovered and had returned to active duty
outside of Kuwait.


3. (C) ARCENT military officers state that three other
soldiers with suspicious symptoms are currently sequestered
at Camp Buehring and officers are awaiting H1N1 test results.
ARCENT medical officers state that they expect to have a
rapid diagnostic capability for H1N1 Influenza -- yielding
test results in hours -- within the next week; NAMRU team
members are currently at Camp Arifjan helping to set this up.


4. (C) Post believes that ARCENT's failure to inform Emboffs
of these cases until May 15 is largely attributable to the
absence of senior command at ARCENT Kuwait for the past two
to three weeks, due to a change of command.


5. (C) Ambassador informed the acting Minister of Health, Dr.
Moudhi Abdulaziz Al-Homoud, on May 17. Dr. Homoud indicated
that this information should not be made public, a message
she subsequently reiterated to Ambassador.


6. (C) The Minister said that it would be appropriate for
U.S. military personnel to be sequestered, monitored and
treated at DoD medical facilities in Kuwait in the event of
suspected or confirmed H1N1 Influenza (i.e., rather than
being treated at the GoK's Infectious Diseases Hospital, as
stipulated in Minister's Homoud's letter to Ambassador on May
10; ref A). The Minister confirmed that H1N1 cases under
Chief of Mission authority would require hospitalization at
the Infectious Diseases Hospital.

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For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit:
visit Kuwait's Classified Website at:

http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it
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JONES