VZCZCXRO2600
RR RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHGH RUEHPB RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #1396/01 1461101
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261101Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4143
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP/ISA/AP//
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC//J2/J3/J5//
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J00/J2/J3/J5//

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 001396 
 
HHS FOR OGHA 
CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID, AND PASS TO FLU COX AND MOUNTS AND 
COGH BLOUNT AND KELLEY 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO TBIO KSAF KPAO PREL PINR
AMGT, MG, EAGR, HHS, CH 
SUBJECT:  H1N1 INFLUENZA OUTBREAK - CHINA SITREP # 17 
 
REF: A) BEIJING 1377 B) BEIJING 1362 C) BEIJING 1352    D) BEIJING 
1335 
 
 
TWELVE A (H1N1) CASES CONFIRMED, FIRST AMCIT CASE 
----------------------------- ------------------- 
 
¶1.  (U) As of May 26, China's Ministry of Health (MOH) has announced 
twelve confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) on Mainland China. 
There are five confirmed cases in Beijing, and one case each in the 
following cities:  Chengdu, Jinan City (Shandong Province), 
Guangzhou, Fuzhou (Fujian Province), Wenzhou (Zhejiang Province), 
Shanghai, and Changsha (Hunan Province).  Of the twelve A (H1N1) 
cases, eleven are Chinese citizens, and one, the fourth confirmed 
case in Beijing, is an American citizen. This is the first case of a 
foreigner with confirmed A (H1N1) in China.  Hong Kong also has 
seven confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1). 
 
¶2. (SBU) Beijing's Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) notified Embassy 
Beijing on May 22 that an American citizen had been confirmed as 
influenza A(H1N1) positive and was being treated in isolation at 
Ditan Hospital. The AmCit, a 65-year old male, flew from New York to 
Beijing on Air China CA982, arriving on May 21. 
 
 
AMCIT QUARANTINE CASES 
---------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) As of May 26, 41 American citizens are reported to be in 
quarantine throughout China. Seven are quarantined in Beijing, one 
in Hunan Province, nine in Fujian Province, and 24 in Guizhou 
Province. 
 
--One AmCit, Beijing's fourth confirmed case of influenza A (H1N1) 
is in isolation at Ditan Hospital. An AmCit DOE contractor is also 
quarantined at Ditan Hospital after experiencing flu-like symptoms 
and requesting to be tested for the H1N1 virus. Another five AmCits 
are in quarantine at the Jinglin Hotel, four of whom were sitting 
within three rows of the confirmed AmCit case on the May 21 CA982 
flight into Beijing, and one of whom arrived in Shanghai on the May 
22 China Eastern MU588 flight with the confirmed case in Zhejiang 
Province and who later traveled to Beijing. Beijing ACS has been in 
direct contact with all seven AmCits quarantined in Beijing. 
 
--Hunan FAO reported that three AmCits who arrived on the May 22 MU 
588 flight into Shanghai were quarantined over the weekend in Hunan. 
Beijing ACS has confirmed that two out of the three were released on 
May 26 and is working to contact and confirm the status of the 
remaining AmCit. 
 
-- There are nine American citizens who are known to be quarantined 
in hospitals in the Fuzhou area (Fujian Province).  All were in 
close contact with a 22-month old baby, China's eighth confirmed 
case of influenza A (H1N1), who arrived on the May 20 Dragonair 
KA662 flight from Hong Kong to Changle.  None of the nine are 
reported to have symptoms. 
 
--Twenty-four American citizens are currently in quarantine in a 
hotel in Kaili, Guizhou Province. The group was quarantined on May 
25 after a passenger on their United 869 flight from San Francisco, 
QN]sHF">Asymptoms. 
 
 
VARYING H1N1 SCREENING PROCEDURES 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) In spite of new Civil Aviation Administration of China 
 
BEIJING 00001396  002 OF 002 
 
 
(CAAC) requirements for in-flight temperature screenings to be 
performed by flight crews on domestic carriers (REF A), anecdotal 
reports of screenings show that implementation is inconsistent and 
actual procedures vary. 
 
--In one case, a China Eastern flight crew conducted temperature 
checks on passengers halfway through the flight, and then again upon 
landing, before cabin doors were opened. In another case, an Air 
China flight crew did not perform any checks during the flight, 
waiting for local quarantine officials to board the flight and 
perform temperature checks prior to disembarkation. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Health and quarantine officials performing onboard 
temperature screening on arriving passengers took different levels 
of precaution, as was apparent by the types of protective gear they 
used. On one American Airlines flight from Chicago to Shanghai 
Pudong Airport, local officials boarded the aircraft wearing full 
body quarantine suits, while passengers on Air China flights from 
both Osaka and Tokyo to Beijing reported that quarantine officials 
wore regular uniforms and surgical masks, and were not/not wearing 
quarantine suits. 
 
 
BEIJING OFFICIALS COMBAT H1N1 PROFITEERING 
-------------------- --------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) According to press reports, Beijing Municipal authorities 
have set fines of up to half a million RMB (USD 72,900) for 
businesses who try to exploit the H1N1 panic by raising prices of 
flu-related products, such as medicine and protective equipment. To 
combat profiteering, the Beijing (Municipal) Development and Reform 
Commission will monitor business practices and the prices for key 
products. Press reports also indicate that while prices for these 
products are so far stable, at least in Beijing, the price of pork 
has dropped noticeably in the last month, in spite of official 
efforts to minimize the fear of eating pork. 
 
 
PICCUTA