TFFLU01: KUWAIT: EIGHT CASES CONFIRMED AMONG

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. ********************************************* ********* For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: visit Kuwait's Classified Website at: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it ********************************************* ********* JONES