VZCZCXRO6859
RR RUEHAST RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHBR #0552 1252023
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 052023Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4191
INFO RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 3955
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 7646
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 9449
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1579
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000552 
 
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 AMED ASEC KSAF PREL PINR AMGT
KFLO, KPAO, TF, BR 
SUBJECT: TFFLU01: H1N1 INFLUENZA OUTBREAK AND BRAZIL:  SITREP #6 
 
(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 swine flu outbreak. 
 
NEW REPORTED CASES: 
 
¶2.  There are no confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu in Brazil, which is 
most likely due to the fact that Brazil does not yet have the 
necessary materials to begin testing.  The Ministry of Health 
expects that once Brazil begins to actively test samples a number of 
the current suspected cases of H1N1 will be confirmed.  As of the 
afternoon of Tuesday, May 5, the Brazilian Ministry of Health, in 
conjunction with the National Agency on Health Vigilance (ANVISA) in 
Brazil are reporting 25 suspected cases of H1N1 in 9 of Brazil's 27 
states, and are monitoring 36 other cases spread throughout 16 
states. 
 
BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT'S RECENT ACTIONS: 
 
¶3.  On the afternoon of May 4, the Brazilian government confirmed 
press reports stating that a 50 year old woman had died of flu-like 
symptoms in a hospital in the State of Rio de Janeiro two days after 
returning from the United States on flight originating in Michigan. 
The Brazilian government, however, rejected the idea that the 
woman's death was caused by the H1N1 flu.  Brazilian health 
officials are reporting that the woman died of bacterial pneumonia, 
and that her body showed signs of septicemia, or blood poisoning, 
brought on by the bacterial infection. 
 
¶4.  The Brazilian Government still has not definitively stated when 
it expects to be able to begin testing for the H1N1 virus.  However, 
according to press releases and information obtained by CDC officers 
in Brasilia, the CDC has sent testing kits from its headquarters in 
Atlanta to Brazil.  The kits are being distributed to the three WHO 
influenza reference laboratories in Brazil; Fiocruz (Rio de 
Janeiro), Evandro Chagas (Belem), and Aldolfo Lutz (Sao Paulo.) 
According to CDC sources, with these kits Brazil may be able to 
start testing before the end of this week. 
 
¶5.  In the past few days the Ministry of Health's Permanent 
Emergency Cabinet has redefined the standards they use to classify 
suspected and monitored cases of H1N1 in Brazil.  Under the new 
standards, individuals who exhibit symptoms of H1N1 after returning 
from external areas where there may not be confirmed cases of H1N1 
will now also be monitored by the government.  The Brazilian 
Government chose to broaden its standards in response to the 
increasing number of countries and areas throughout the world where 
cases of H1N1 has been confirmed. 
 
DEVELOPMENTS WITH MISSION BRAZIL: 
 
¶6.  Mission Brazil stepped up its efforts to distribute sanitation 
products, such as hand sanitizer, to personnel who have constant 
contact with the public, such as the local guard force and consular 
employees.  Hand sanitizer is also being placed near the entrances 
to the compound and in other common areas to reinforce the 
importance of personal hygiene in limiting the spread of this, or 
any other influenza strain, within the Mission. 
 
 
SOBEL