VZCZCXRO5462
RR RUEHAST RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHBR #0538/01 1241051
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041051Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4166
INFO RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 3936
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 7627
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 9430
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1575
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 000538 
 
DEPT FOR OES/IHB AMBASSADOR LOFTIS 
DEPT FOR WHA/BSC 
USDA PASS TO APHIS 
HHS PASS TO CDC 
HHS FOR OGHA 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KFLU CASC AEMR ASEC KSAF PREL PINR AMGT KFLO
KPAO, BR 
SUBJECT: MGSF01: SWINE FLU AND BRAZIL:  SITREP #4 
 
BRASILIA 00000538  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
(U) THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED AND NOT FOR INTERNET 
DISTRIBUTION.  PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) This report provides an update on developments in Brazil 
regarding the H1N1 flu outbreak. 
 
NEW REPORTED CASES: 
 
¶2.  (SBU) There are no confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu in Brazil, 
which may be due more to the fact that Brazil does not yet have the 
ability to perform the necessary testing.  Brazil expects to have 
that capability shortly.  As of the afternoon of April 30, the 
Brazilian Ministry of Health, along with the National Agency on 
Health Vigilance (ANVISA), is monitoring 36 people in 11 different 
states who have flu-like symptoms and have traveled recently to 
Mexico or the United States.  Two of these cases, one in the State 
of Sao Paulo and another in the State of Minas Gerais, are suspected 
of being potential cases of H1N1, but as noted above no tests have 
been performed yet to confirm this suspicion.  A newspaper from 
northeastern Brazil reported that medical officials in the State of 
Paraiba suspect one woman, who recently returned from a trip to 
Texas, may be infected with H1N1.  This woman has not been included 
in the Ministry of Health's list of monitored or suspected cases. 
In the State of Espirito Santo a man and a woman who recently 
returned from Mexico have been hospitalized with flu-like symptoms 
and are being monitored by state officials, but have also not been 
included in the Ministry of Health's record. 
 
BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT'S RECENT ACTIONS: 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In a public statement yesterday afternoon, April 29, 
Brazilian Health Minister Jose Gomez Temporao entreated the public 
not to self-medicate unnecessarily with anti-viral drugs such as 
Tamiflu and Relenza.  Instead of sending flu samples from Brazil to 
the CDC or another WHO reference lab, Temporao explained that Brazil 
had received the genome of the H1N1 flu and would use that 
information to develop its own test.  Temporao explained that it 
will take the ministry's scientists ten days to develop the correct 
testing assays to detect H1N1 in Brazil, and that once the assay is 
created testing will take place at the Oswaldo Cruz Fiocruz 
Institute (Fiocruz) in Rio de Janeiro. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) In his remarks, Temporao reaffirmed that Brazil has large 
enough stockpiles of flu medicine to treat nine million individuals. 
 He reassured the public that the Ministry of Health and ANVISA were 
working hard to monitor and regulate international travel coming 
into Brazilian airports; and that 52 hospitals in the country were 
prepared to handle potential H1N1 cases. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) On April 29, ANVISA released further information regarding 
how it is handling flights originating from Mexico and the United 
States.  Pilots of these aircraft are being required to make an 
announcement to the passengers on board asking them to notify the 
crew if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms.  This announcement 
is given in both English and Portuguese.  Information about sick 
passengers is then relayed to Brazilian health authorities. 
Airlines are also requiring that masks be distributed to everyone on 
the plane in the case that a sick passenger is identified. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) In an extended effort to keep the public informed, on 
April 29, the Brazilian Government launched a public affairs 
campaign on local TV and radio stations.  This campaign broadcasts 
facts and information related to the H1N1 flu outbreak, and counsels 
viewers and listeners on what they can do to prevent infection, and 
what to do/who to contact if they suspect infection has occurred. 
 
DEVELOPMENTS WITH MISSION BRAZIL: 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Mission Brazil will be closed for a three day holiday 
weekend in Brazil (in observation of International Labor Day).  We 
will continue to closely monitor the situation.  The H1N1 Working 
Group for Mission Brazil met the morning of April 30 to discuss how 
to further prepare the Mission in response to the H1N1 flu outbreak. 
 The group will meet again at 9:00 am on May 4 to review new 
developments and to determine if precautions at each post are 
 
BRASILIA 00000538  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
adequate to the current situation. 
 
SOBEL