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