VZCZCXRO4227
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHKV #1890 3030429
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 300429Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY KYIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8704
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS KYIV 001890 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CDC SOCI PREL AMED CASC XH UP
SUBJECT: UKRAINE: "UNKNOWN FLU" OUTBREAK IN TERNOPIL REGION 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: In the past two weeks, thousands of people in the 
Ternopil region of western Ukraine have fallen ill with an "unknown" 
type of flu, according to local media sources.  Reports suggest at 
least seven people have died as a result of complications caused by 
this outbreak.  While Ukrainian authorities have stopped short of 
indentifying the disease as A-H1N1, symptoms described in news 
reports suggest that the "swine flu" has arrived in force.  Thus 
far, Ukrainian authorities have officially acknowledged only two 
cases of A-H1N1 in Ukraine and no deaths.  However, local experts 
suspect that the number is significantly higher and likely to rise 
as the annual flu season comes into full swing.  End Summary. 
 
FLU OUTBREAK IN TERNOPIL 
------------------------ 
 
¶2. (U) According to media reports, at least seven people in the 
Ternopil region of western Ukraine have died of complications caused 
by an unknown flu strain.  Moreover, approximately 6,000 - 10,000 
people visited local medical facilities to be treated for flu-like 
symptoms.  Most patients are reportedly young and otherwise in good 
physical health.  In response, Ternopil authorities have closed 
schools and universities and suspended public activities for 
children and teenagers.  According to the Ministry of Health, 
medical facilities in Ternopil have instructions to isolate any 
patients presenting flu like symptoms as a precaution. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The flu virus has so far not been identified as A-H1N1. 
According to Bohdan Oniskiv, head of the Ternopil Regional 
Administration's Health Department, the strain will be known by 
November 3, when authorities are scheduled to receive test results 
from a London-based WHO-certified laboratory.  Unofficial testing 
results performed by the Ukrainian National Influenza Center should 
be available on October 30.  The Ministry of Health has set up a 
special commission to investigate the causes of the outbreak in 
Ternopil and present its findings on November 1. 
 
H1N1 IN UKRAINE 
--------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Ukraine has so far acknowledged two cases of A-H1N1 in May 
and in September.  Both individuals had travelled to Ukraine from 
other countries and fully recovered after hospitalization and 
treatment.  However, as Dr. Galina Romanyuk of Program for 
Appropriate Technologies in Health (PATH), who is directly involved 
in PATH's pandemic influenza project in Ukraine, told us the actual 
number of those infected with H1N1 may be much higher due to 
difficulties associated with properly diagnosing the flu virus. 
Consensus opinion is that, with the advent of the annual flu season, 
the number of H1N1 cases in Ukraine is likely to increase 
dramatically. 
 
ATTEMPTS AT PREPAREDNESS 
------------------------ 
 
¶5. (SBU) Oleksandr Bilovol, First Deputy Minister of Health and 
Ukraine's Chief Health Inspector said in a press conference on 
October 23 that Ukraine has filed an application with the World 
Health Organization (WHO) to buy H1N1 vaccines, should the situation 
in Ukraine deteriorate.  According to Oleksandr Hrynevych, director 
of the Ukrainian Flu Center, H1N1 vaccines should be available by 
the end of the year, he said at a press conference on October 16. 
In the meantime, Ukrainian health authorities have distributed 
Tamiflu to regional hospitals but, according to PATH's Romanyuk, the 
quantities are likely to be insufficient and more will does will 
need to be purchased, should the situation deteriorate. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Ukraine has thus far avoided a significant H1N1 outbreak, 
partially due to the relative difficulty average Ukrainians face in 
obtaining U.S. and Schengen (E.U.) visas.  Emergency measures taken 
by the GOU after the first two individual H1N1 cases proved 
effective and prevented the spread of the virus.  If the current 
Ternopil scare proves to be an actual H1N1 outbreak, however, the 
Ministry of Health will be forced to actively deal with an 
in-country epidemic and will likely need additional guidance from 
those already coping with outbreaks around the world. 
 
PETTIT