VZCZCXRO1357
RR RUEHAST RUEHCHI RUEHDH RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHNH RUEHPB
RUEHPOD RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKL #0446/01 1560911
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050911Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2809
INFO RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1734
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 000446 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR CA/OCS/EAP 
STATE FOR M/PRI FOR RMORRITZ 
STATE FOR S/ES-O/CMS FOR EPARRA 
STATE FOR EAP/MTS FOR DBISCHOF 
STATE FOR OES/AIAG FOR AMBASSSADOR LOFTIS, DWINN AND 
CPATTERSON 
STATE FOR REO/BKK FOR HHOWARD 
STATE FOR OES/IHB, AAIT, MED 
HHS FOR OGHA STEIGER AND HICKEY 
CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID AND COGH 
USDA FOR APHIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU AEMR ASEC AMED CASC KFLO TBIO KSAF KPAO PREL
PINR, AMGT, TF, MY 
SUBJECT: TFFLU01: MALAYSIA H1N1 UPDATE - June 5, 2009 
 
REF:  A. Kuala Lumpur 395 
      ¶B. Kuala Lumpur 363 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY:  The Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed three new 
cases of H1N1 in Malaysia on June 4.  One case is a Malaysian 
student who returned from the U.S. where he was studying.  The other 
two cases are German tourists who arrived together from Singapore. 
Malaysia's two previous H1N1 cases were released from quarantine on 
May 20 and 22 with no known local transmission of the virus, 
bringing the total case count in Malaysia to five (see reftel A). 
As with the previous cases, MOH is quarantining close contacts of 
the infected individuals.  Post believes there were 17 AmCits who 
traveled with the infected student; we have confirmed that 7 have 
been contacted by MOH and asked to quarantine themselves in their 
hotels or homes.  In a separate development, the Department of 
Veterinary Services (DVS) informed FAS Attache that Malaysia has 
lifted its pork import freeze (see reftel B).  END SUMMARY 
 
--------------- 
Confirmed Cases 
--------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Malaysia's third confirmed case of H1N1 is a 23 year old 
male Malaysian who was studying in the U.S.  He returned to Malaysia 
on June 1 aboard Malaysian Airlines flight MH091.  As with the prior 
two cases in Malaysia, he underwent thermal screening at Kuala 
Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) but was not symptomatic at the 
time.  He developed a cough and fever on June 3, he contacted MOH 
and was referred to Tuanku Jaafar Hospital in Seremban for 
quarantine, one of MOH's 28 designated pandemic influenza hospitals. 
 He is reportedly in stable condition and responding well to Tamiflu 
antiviral treatment. 
 
¶3.  (U) Malaysia's fourth and fifth cases are German tourists who 
arrived at Malaysia's Low Cost Carrier Terminal aboard AirAsia 
flight AK702 from Singapore.  They were originally seen at 
Gleneagles Hospital, which is a private hospital near the Embassy 
and frequently used by Embassy staff.  They were later sent to MOH 
H1N1-designated Kuala Lumpur Hospital for treatment and quarantine, 
as per MOH protocol.  MOH has asked individuals with flu-like 
symptoms to report directly to MOH hospitals rather than private 
clinics in order to prevent exposing healthcare providers to 
infection. 
 
--------------------- 
Quarantine Procedures 
--------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U) Malaysia continues its policy of full containment with 
regards to H1N1.  MOH has asked all passengers aboard the 
abovementioned flights MH091 and AK702 to report to MOH.  These 
passengers will be placed under quarantine and screened for H1N1. 
MOH informed us that 17 AmCits were on board MH091; MOH says they 
have contacted 11.  The Consular Section managed to contact 9 of the 
AmCits.  7 had been asked to quarantine themselves in their hotels 
or residences, though MOH agreed to permit four of them to attend a 
wedding on Saturday on condition they wear masks.  Two others have 
not been contacted by MOH.  The five quarantined individuals in 
Kuala Lumpur have been told they will be released Sunday; two 
others, in Pahang, were told their quarantine would end on Monday. 
No AmCits traveled on flight AK702. 
 
¶5.  (U) Permitting those in close contact with infected individuals 
to undergo quarantine in their hotel or with their local hosts 
rather than undergo hospital quarantine represents a shift from 
procedures imposed after the previous H1N1 cases.  Two of the 
AmCits, in Pahang, are receiving visits twice a day from MOH 
officials to take their temperatures.  Staff of the Mandarin 
Oriental Hotel in Kuala Lumpur are taking the temperature of an 
AmCit quarantined there.  The hotel expenses remain the 
responsibility of the individual but MOH will admit them to hospital 
at MOH expense if they prefer. 
 
KUALA LUMP 00000446  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
--------------- 
Pork Ban Lifted 
--------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) Malaysia stopped issuing import permits for all pork 
products on April 29 under the auspices of preventing H1N1 from 
entering Malaysia.  Post protested this action on numerous occasions 
and at various levels.  The Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) 
lifted this freeze on pork imports on June 3.  DVS confirmed this 
action by phone call to FAS Attache adding that no official 
statement on this decision would be made.  Last year, the United 
States exported about $390,000 of pork products to Malaysia, with 
about $27,000 more so far in the first two months of 2009. 
 
¶7.  (U) DVS announced that it will begin testing an H1N1 vaccine for 
pigs.  Approximately 10,000 pigs in the state of Perak will be 
vaccinated with results expected in six weeks.  If the vaccine is 
shown to prevent pigs from catching the virus, a proposal to 
vaccinate all of Malaysia's 1.7 million pigs will be submitted to 
the government.  So far, 80% of Malaysia's 776 pig farms have been 
examined.  DVS Director-General Dr. Abd Aziz Jamaluddin has 
proclaimed Malaysian pig farms to be H1N1 free.  DVS had previously 
informed Post that the pig farm surveillance was a necessary public 
step that must be completed prior to reissuing any pork import 
permits. 
 
 
RAPSON