TWO POSSIBLE SWINE FLU CASES IN ISRAEL

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000932 SENSITIVE SIPDIS NIH FOR INTERNATIONAL DEPT FOR OES/IHA, NEA, AND CA/OCS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KFLU TBIO AMED CASC WHO IS SUBJECT: TWO POSSIBLE SWINE FLU CASES IN ISRAEL REF: STATE 41745 ¶1. (SBU) Two possible cases of swine flu have been reported in Israel since April 25. Both cases are Israeli men who recently returned from visits to Mexico and are displaying symptoms consistent with the virus. Based upon criteria set by the Israeli Ministry of Health, the men have been quarantined at their respective hospitals, the first in Netanya and the second in Kfar Saba. Prof. Avinoam Skolnik, director-general of the Netanya hospital, told the press that based upon initial test results he does not believe the 26-year old man is infected with the swine flu virus. No information has been released regarding the Kfar Saba case, a man in his late forties. ¶2. (SBU) At a press conference held today inside a Ministry of Health storage facility, both Deputy Minister of Health Ya'acov Litzman and Director of the Health Ministry's Emergency Situation Department Dr. Danny Laor briefed the media on the status of Israel's preparedness for a flu epidemic. Litzman, an ultra-orthodox Jew who prefers to refer to the outbreak as the "Mexican flu" and not swine flu, announced that Israel has enough Tamiflu antiviral pills to treat 18% of the Israeli population. Laor detailed that this amounts to 11.7 million pills to treat approximately 1.1 million people; additionally, sufficient dosages are available to treat up to 200,000 children. He asserted that agreements are in place that would allow the Ministry to purchase several million pills should circumstances require it. In the interim, the Health Ministry has received budgetary approval to purchase additional dosages to treat up to 25% of the population. The Ministry also has a supply of 3,000 respiration machines available to distribute to Israeli hospitals if necessary. There are no formal recommendations against travel abroad, but Litzman cautioned against travel to Mexico at this time. ¶3. (SBU) Dr. Alex Levanthal, the Ministry of Health's Director of the Department of International Relations, discussed the situation with post ESTH office. He said that although chances are slim that these cases are swine flu, precautionary measures are being taken because Israel currently has no presence of influenza and the recent travel to Mexico raised concern. He is awaiting test results to determine first whether the men are infected with influenza, and then whether their specific strain is indeed the swine flu virus. If the samples indicate a positive presence of influenza, they will need to be sent to London for confirmation of the genomic sequencing. Therefore, official results may not be available for several days. CUNNINGHAM