NUEVO LEON'S HEALTH SECRETARY BRIEFS ON H1N1 FLU

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MONTERREY 000178

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC CASC KSCA TBIO MX
SUBJECT: NUEVO LEON'S HEALTH SECRETARY BRIEFS ON H1N1 FLU

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1. Summary. On May 14, 2009 Monterrey Consul General, Econoff
and ACS Deputy met with Nuevo Leon Secretary of Health Gilberto
Montiel Amoroso to discuss the state's response to the H1N1
outbreak and its capacity to handle future pandemics. The
capital of Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, is the third largest city in
country and the industrial capital of northern Mexico. Situated
only 150 miles from the U.S. border, the city is also regional
headquarters for many U.S. based businesses. There have been 25
cases and one death of H1N1 flu reported in the state. Montiel
credits the state's swift response for containing the outbreak
and he believes the state is now better positioned to handle
pandemics in the future. End Summary.



Timeline of State Actions to Prevent Contamination




2. Nuevo Leon's state government convened its State Committee
on Health Security on April 24, the same day schools and public
institutions were closed in Mexico City. The following day, the
Governor, Jose Natividad Gonzalez Paras declared a state of
alert and urged citizens to take precautions to prevent the
spread of the flu. Two days after the school closures in Mexico
City, the state formed an Emergency Committee for the Prevention
and Treatment of Viral Epidemics. The committee closed all
schools in the state from April 27 to May 6 and also began a
public awareness campaign. On Wednesday April 29, checkpoints
were established on the six major highways entering the state.
Health officials also began visual inspections of passengers at
airports and bus terminals. During the long May Day break, May
1 -5, the governor required that all nonessential government and
private businesses shut down. On May 6, business and public
institutions (except for schools) reopened for business. High
schools and universities reopened on May 7; grade schools and
daycare reopened May 11.



Public Awareness




3. Montiel explained that public education was a crucial
element to combating the H1N1 flu. Rumors of a high number of
deaths and a high fatality rate were rampant in the Monterrey
metropolitan area. The state began as early as April 26 an
organized campaign to promote public and personal hygiene
through TV and radio commercials, information booths in public
areas and seminars to public employees such as teachers, nurses
and police officers. The outreach also emphasized that the H1N1
flu was fully treatable if caught in time.



Current Capacity




4. There are now five testing machines capable of analyzing flu
virus samples - two testing machines are owned by the Department
of Health, and the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, the
University of Monterrey, and Monterrey Tec's San Jose Hospital
each have one machine. Each of the five testing machines is
capable of testing 330 samples per day. Previously the state
did not have any testing equipment. Reports of a young woman's
death from the H1N1 flu in the Monterrey area on April 25 caused
widespread fear in the state. The woman's death was later found
not to have been caused by the H1N1 flu but it took eight days
to receive the test results. At the peak of the outbreak, there
were 310 unconfirmed cases of H1N1 flu in the state.




5. Monterrey now has three hospitals with wards dedicated to
quarantine patients suspected of having flu like symptoms in
order to help prevent further contamination. The hospitals are
the Infant Hospital, Hospital Metropolitano and the Clinica 2
del IMSS. For the treatment of future flu outbreaks, the state
has 12,000 doses of Tamiflu available.



Advisory Council




6. The Emergency Committee for the Prevention and Treatment of

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Viral Epidemics which was vital in the decision making process
for the state government was made of up of medical experts from
various hospitals, state and local government agencies, local
universities and a representative from the University of Texas'
Institute of Molecular Medicine, Dr. Thomas Caskey. Access to
the University of Texas is noteworthy since it is a direct
resource most Mexican states do not available and was made
possible by the border relationships between Texas and Nuevo
Leon. On May 11, the governor reconstituted the emergency
committee into a permanent scientific advisory board including a
permanent seat for the University of Texas.




7. Comments. As a result of H1N1 flu Nuevo Leon is better
prepared to handle future outbreaks. The state did not have
testing facilities or a scientific advisory council prior to the
outbreak. Nuevo Leon has also taken the initiative of working
in directly with the University of Texas which has access to
more equipment and epidemiologists than the state can provide.
Going forward however, Nuevo Leon does not yet have an action
plan for how to handle the expected return of the H1N1 virus
during the normal flu season. Montiel commented that it was
still too early to create an action plan and will wait to see
what happens during the summer months. End Comments.
WILLIAMSON