Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MOSCOW1889
2009-07-23 13:48:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Moscow
Cable title:
EMBASSY MOSCOW CONFIRMS TWO CASES OF H1N1 FLU, RUSSIA'S
how-toVZCZCXRO4705 OO RUEHAST RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHSL RUEHTM RUEHTRO DE RUEHMO #1889 2041348 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 231348Z JUL 09 FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4327 INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE RUEHVK/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 3310 RUEHYG/AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG 3664 RUEHLN/AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG 5432 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 2209 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0416 RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 5343
UNCLAS MOSCOW 001889
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/RUS
STATE FOR OES/IHB
USDA PASS TO APHIS
HHS PASS TO CDC
HHS FOR OGHA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU PREL SOCI CASC EAGR RS
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MOSCOW CONFIRMS TWO CASES OF H1N1 FLU, RUSSIA'S
CASES LIKELY UNDERESTIMATED
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY.
UNCLAS MOSCOW 001889
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/RUS
STATE FOR OES/IHB
USDA PASS TO APHIS
HHS PASS TO CDC
HHS FOR OGHA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU PREL SOCI CASC EAGR RS
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MOSCOW CONFIRMS TWO CASES OF H1N1 FLU, RUSSIA'S
CASES LIKELY UNDERESTIMATED
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY.
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Post has confirmed two cases of H1N1 influenza
within the Embassy community. Symptoms have been mild, and both
patients are recovering well. Aside from these cases, Russian
health authorities have publicly confirmed 12 cases of H1N1
throughout the country. However, this number is almost certainly
underestimated. Authorities have not announced contingency plans
for a wider outbreak except to speculate that schools might open
later in the season. END SUMMARY.
2. (SBU) On July 22, Post received confirmation of two cases of H1N1
influenza within the Embassy community. The Walter Reed Army
Institute of Research analyzed samples from the patients and
confirmed the H1N1 infection. Both patients' symptoms have been
mild, and they are recovering well. On July 24, the Embassy will
report its cases to the Federal Service for Consumer Protection and
Human Welfare Supervision (Rospotrebnadzor),the Russian government
agency responsible for epidemic response.
3. (U) On July 21, Dr. Gennadiy Onishchenko, Russia's Chief Medical
Officer and head of Rospotrebnadzor, announced that Russia had
confirmed a total of 12 cases of H1N1, with several other suspected
cases under observation. Onishchenko said that the majority of
confirmed cases were in travelers arriving from Spain. He also
announced that, because of vacation season and the large number of
tourists travelling abroad, authorities expect the virus to spread
in the near future. He ordered that in addition to screening
arriving passengers on regular airline flights, charter flight
passengers would also be subject to screening.
4. (SBU) In a July 19 letter to heads of regional Rospotrebnadzor
branches, Onishchenko ordered that children's summer camps should
report to Rospotrebnadzor any instance in which five or more cases
of respiratory illnesses arise at a single camp. According to the
letter, every suspected case of H1N1 must be immediately reported to
Rospotrebnadzor.
5. (SBU) Alexander Kucherenko of Rospotrebnadzor's International
Affairs Department told us that each Russian region has individually
determined thresholds for different levels of pandemic response. He
did not elaborate on what specific measures the agency would take in
response to a given rate of infection, nor does the agency specify
its contingency plans in its publicly available literature. In his
latest statement, Onishchenko suggested that in the event of a
strong rise in infection rates, the government might delay the
beginning of the school year. However, he did not define what he
meant by "a strong rise."
6. (SBU) COMMENT: If Russian public health officials have clearly
defined contingency plans in the event of a wider H1N1 outbreak,
they are not sharing them with the public or with the diplomatic
community. We do not know whether the government might restrict
travel or impose curfews. Post strongly suspects that authorities
are far under-reporting the infection rate, likely because public
health officials are directing most attention to inbound travelers
from abroad.
BEYRLE
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/RUS
STATE FOR OES/IHB
USDA PASS TO APHIS
HHS PASS TO CDC
HHS FOR OGHA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU PREL SOCI CASC EAGR RS
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MOSCOW CONFIRMS TWO CASES OF H1N1 FLU, RUSSIA'S
CASES LIKELY UNDERESTIMATED
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY.
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Post has confirmed two cases of H1N1 influenza
within the Embassy community. Symptoms have been mild, and both
patients are recovering well. Aside from these cases, Russian
health authorities have publicly confirmed 12 cases of H1N1
throughout the country. However, this number is almost certainly
underestimated. Authorities have not announced contingency plans
for a wider outbreak except to speculate that schools might open
later in the season. END SUMMARY.
2. (SBU) On July 22, Post received confirmation of two cases of H1N1
influenza within the Embassy community. The Walter Reed Army
Institute of Research analyzed samples from the patients and
confirmed the H1N1 infection. Both patients' symptoms have been
mild, and they are recovering well. On July 24, the Embassy will
report its cases to the Federal Service for Consumer Protection and
Human Welfare Supervision (Rospotrebnadzor),the Russian government
agency responsible for epidemic response.
3. (U) On July 21, Dr. Gennadiy Onishchenko, Russia's Chief Medical
Officer and head of Rospotrebnadzor, announced that Russia had
confirmed a total of 12 cases of H1N1, with several other suspected
cases under observation. Onishchenko said that the majority of
confirmed cases were in travelers arriving from Spain. He also
announced that, because of vacation season and the large number of
tourists travelling abroad, authorities expect the virus to spread
in the near future. He ordered that in addition to screening
arriving passengers on regular airline flights, charter flight
passengers would also be subject to screening.
4. (SBU) In a July 19 letter to heads of regional Rospotrebnadzor
branches, Onishchenko ordered that children's summer camps should
report to Rospotrebnadzor any instance in which five or more cases
of respiratory illnesses arise at a single camp. According to the
letter, every suspected case of H1N1 must be immediately reported to
Rospotrebnadzor.
5. (SBU) Alexander Kucherenko of Rospotrebnadzor's International
Affairs Department told us that each Russian region has individually
determined thresholds for different levels of pandemic response. He
did not elaborate on what specific measures the agency would take in
response to a given rate of infection, nor does the agency specify
its contingency plans in its publicly available literature. In his
latest statement, Onishchenko suggested that in the event of a
strong rise in infection rates, the government might delay the
beginning of the school year. However, he did not define what he
meant by "a strong rise."
6. (SBU) COMMENT: If Russian public health officials have clearly
defined contingency plans in the event of a wider H1N1 outbreak,
they are not sharing them with the public or with the diplomatic
community. We do not know whether the government might restrict
travel or impose curfews. Post strongly suspects that authorities
are far under-reporting the infection rate, likely because public
health officials are directing most attention to inbound travelers
from abroad.
BEYRLE