VZCZCXRO1383
OO RUEHAST RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKO #0982/01 1182215
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 282215Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2617
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0603
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 5054
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9032
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 3750
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 1412
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 6088
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 7552
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 4287
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3508
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4848
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 8613
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 000982 
 
DEPT FOR OES/IHB AMBASSADOR LOFTIS 
DEPT FOR EAP/J 
USDA PASS TO APHIS, FAS FOR BURDETT 
HHS PASS TO CDC 
HHS FOR OGHA 
DEPT PASS TO AID/GH/HIDN 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KFLU KSTH ECON PREL SOCI CASC EAGR JA
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON JAPAN'S RESPONSE TO H1N1 OUTBREAK 
 
REF: TOKYO 00965 
 
TOKYO 00000982  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
This Message is Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please handle 
accordingly. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: No human cases of swine flu have been reported in 
Japan.  The Health Ministry raised Japan's domestic pandemic alert 
April 28 to a level corresponding to an outbreak of pandemic 
influenza abroad.  The GOJ authorized expanded border screening to 
include arrivals from the U.S. and Canada, as well as from Mexico, 
but staffing constraints may preclude boarding all those arriving 
flights.  The GOJ is considering sending military doctors to Tokyo's 
Narita Airport to assist with quarantine.  The MHLW has also begun 
contacting recent returnees from Mexico to assess their health.  The 
GOJ is advising some 6,000 Japanese living in Mexico to take 
precautionary measures and to consider leaving Mexico if they 
anticipate restrictions on air travel or medical care.  The Prime 
Minister's interagency working group decided to begin developing a 
vaccine against the H1N1 virus.  The Agriculture Minister continues 
to emphasize to the public the safety of consuming pork and said the 
GOJ considers the H1N1 outbreak to be a human infection.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) As of April 28, 2009 1600 local time, no human cases of Type 
A H1N1 influenza (Swine Flu) have been reported in Japan.  Chief 
Cabinet Secretary Kawamura said no Japanese at home or abroad are 
suspected to have been infected with the virus, according to media 
reports. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) On April 28, the Ministry of Health Labor and Welfare 
(MHLW) raised Japan's domestic pandemic alert level from zero to 
Stage One.  Stage One measures are implemented in response to an 
outbreak of pandemic influenza outside Japan, according to MHLW 
officials. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The GOJ has expanded health screening measures at ports of 
entry in line with the higher pandemic alert stage.  The MHLW has 
asked local health centers to contact passengers who have returned 
to Japan from Mexico in the past 10 days.  As of April 28, MHLW has 
authorized quarantine officers to board flights arriving in Japan 
from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico before allowing passengers to 
deplane.  However, MHLW officials noted staffing constraints may 
prevent quarantine officers from boarding all arriving flights. 
Medical personnel from Japan's Ground Self Defense Force (GSDF) may 
be dispatched to Narita Airport as early as April 29 to assist with 
possible quarantine, according to GSDF officials.  Border officials 
are requesting passengers and crew arriving from the U.S., Canada, 
and Mexico to fill out a questionnaire providing their contact 
information in Japan and are continuing to use thermographic imaging 
to identify ill passengers.  Japanese officials said no decision has 
been made on restricting flights arriving from the U.S., Canada, and 
Mexico to one of four international airports -- Narita, Kansai, 
Chubu, or Fukuoka.  (Note: All scheduled outbound and inbound 
flights to and from the U.S. use one of Narita, Kansai, or Chubu 
International Airports.  End Note) 
 
¶5.  (U) The MOFA's Consular Bureau is urging travelers to postpone 
travel to Mexico and in a MOFA statement is advising Japanese 
citizens in Mexico to remain indoors, stockpile food and water, and 
closely monitor their health.  MOFA also suggests Japanese citizens 
in Mexico consider making arrangements to depart the country before 
the imposition of any restrictions on commercial travel or access to 
medical facilities.  Media report there are approximately 6,000 
Japanese residents in Mexico. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The GOJ's interagency task force PM Aso set up to deal 
with the pandemic threat has, according to Health Ministry 
officials, charged MHLW with developing a vaccine for the current 
 
TOKYO 00000982  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
H1N1 virus. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Minister for Consumer Affairs Noda commented on reports 
that a major restaurant chain stopped serving Mexican pork by 
telling the press "pork is completely safe, so such an action is 
regrettable."  Agriculture Minister Ishiba said the GOJ will no 
longer use the term "Swine Influenza" and stressed that the GOJ 
considers the virus a human infection.  Media here report Minister 
Ishiba also said "it is not a good thing" that some retailers are 
promoting the sale of non-Mexican pork.  MHLW contacts confirmed 
there are no plans to restrict pork imports into Japan. 
 
ZUMWALT