VZCZCXRO1473
RR RUEHAST RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHBR #0655 1421930
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 221930Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4356
INFO RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 4094
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 7767
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 9563
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1587
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000655 
 
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, KIPR, BR 
SUBJECT: H1N1 INFLUENZA OUTBREAK AND BRAZIL:  SITREP #12 
 
(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.  (SBU) As of the afternoon of May 22, the Brazilian Ministry of 
Health has confirmed nine cases of the H1N1 flu in Brazil.  A new 
case - the ninth altogether - was confirmed in Sao Paulo earlier 
this week.  The nine cases are spread throughout five of Brazil's 26 
states and the Federal District: Sao Paulo (3 cases); Rio de Janeiro 
(3 cases); Minas Gerais (1 case); Santa Catarina (1); and Rio Grande 
do Sul (1 case).  The ministry and health officials are 
investigating another 14 suspected cases of infection in 8 different 
states. 
 
BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT'S RECENT ACTIONS: 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In recent weeks the Ministry of Health has become more 
outspoken in expressing its desires to ensure that information, 
technology, and any potential vaccines related to the H1N1 virus are 
shared openly among all member nations of the World Health 
Organization (WHO).  The Brazilian Government believes that this 
information should be considered a public good.  Health Minister 
Jose Temporao has also insisted that the WHO organize a 
information-sharing system for both public and private health 
institutions that decentralizes access to information on influenza 
viruses, testing equipment and samples, especially for developing 
countries. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Temporao expressed this idea when he addressed the World 
Health Assembly in Geneva.  He also encouraged WHO members to engage 
in open and transparent negotiations in order to establish a set of 
formal rules governing methods of equal dissemination.  Afterwards, 
Temporao met with delegates from France, South Africa, Thailand, 
Norway, Indonesia, and Senegal to discuss how these countries could 
cooperate on these issues. 
 
KUBISKE