Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09TAIPEI609
2009-05-20 08:42:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:  

TFFLU01: TAIWAN CONFIRMS FIRST H1N1 CASE

Tags:  KFLU AEMR CASC KFLO TBIO PREL HHS TW 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8734
OO RUEHAST RUEHCN RUEHDH RUEHGH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
RUEHTM RUEHTRO RUEHVC
DE RUEHIN #0609 1400842
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 200842Z MAY 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1612
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 4636
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RHMFIUU/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS TAIPEI 000609 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE PASS OES/IHA, OES/IHB FOR AMB LOFTIS, HHS FOR MARK
ABDOO, CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID, BANGKOK FOR CDC BAGGETT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFLU AEMR CASC KFLO TBIO PREL HHS TW
SUBJECT: TFFLU01: TAIWAN CONFIRMS FIRST H1N1 CASE

REF: TAIPEI 588 AND PREVIOUS

UNCLAS TAIPEI 000609

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE PASS OES/IHA, OES/IHB FOR AMB LOFTIS, HHS FOR MARK
ABDOO, CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID, BANGKOK FOR CDC BAGGETT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFLU AEMR CASC KFLO TBIO PREL HHS TW
SUBJECT: TFFLU01: TAIWAN CONFIRMS FIRST H1N1 CASE

REF: TAIPEI 588 AND PREVIOUS


1. (SBU) On May 20, Taiwan health authorities confirmed the
first occurrence of H1N1 in Taiwan. The infected passenger
arrived on May 18 at 9:30 pm on Cathay Pacific flight CX 468
from Hong Kong, having started his trip in New York. The
52-year-old Australian national had a fever when he arrived
at Taipei's Taoyuan International airport. He was stopped at
the temperature monitoring station at the airport, and is
being treated and quarantined at a hospital in Taoyuan.
According to reports, the Australian is a long-time resident
of Taitung, on Taiwan's east coast, and works as a shipboard
doctor on cruise ships. His latest cruise was on the
"Norwegian Dawn", which cruised from New York to Bermuda.


2. (SBU) Speculation as to how long Taiwan would be able to
hold out against the H1N1 virus when neighboring countries
were all finding cases of the H1N1 virus, ended with the
diagnosis of this first H1N1 case. Whether this will be just
an isolated case remains to be seen, as health authorities
scramble to contain this individual occurrence and wait for
results from testing passengers who were seated in the
Australian's proximity on flight CX 468.


3. (SBU) TCDC has managed to track down all 57 passengers
sitting in the three rows in front and behind the H1N1
patient on flight CX 468. It has taken medical samples from
each of the 57, and urged them to stay home and impose
self-quarantine procedures while being monitored by medical
officials. TCDC is still trying to determine if any
passengers who sat near the H1N1 patient on the May 17
non-stop flight from New York to Hong Kong (CX 831) booked
separate flights to Taiwan.


4. (SBU) TCDC told us it has sent relevant information to
the IHR focal points in Geneva and the U.S.
YOUNG