VZCZCXRO4176
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHHK #0887 1341033
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 141033Z MAY 09
FM AMCONSUL HONG KONG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7613
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY IA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS HONG KONG 000887 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR TFFLU01M CA/OCS/EP, M/PRI/ SES-O, AAIT, OESIHA, 
MED, HHS FOR OGHA, CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID AND COUGH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AEMR AMGT ASEC CASC KFLO KFLU KPAO KSAF MG
PINR, PREL, TBIO, HK, CH 
SUBJECT: HONG KONG H1N1 UPDATE (5/14) 2ND CASE CONFIRMED 
AMID ACCUSATIONS U.S. IS EXPORTING H1N1 
 
REF: HONG KONG 843 
 
1.(SBU) Summary and Action Request: HKG officials confirmed 
the second case of H1N1 in the territory on May 13, bringing 
to two the number of cases here to date.  In response to this 
news, and a rising clamor in Hong Kong's press about the U.S. 
allegedly doing little to prevent the spread of of H1N1, 
Secretary of Health York Chow on May 13 publicly announced he 
had sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) 
Secretary Sebelius asking the U.S. to undertake more 
stringent measures to constrain the spread of the disease 
(retel).  ConGen Hong Kong urgently requests Department work 
with HHS and other USG agencies to coordinate public and 
private responses to both the letter and the rather sharp 
anti-U.S. press allegations.  End Summary and Action Request. 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) HKG officials confirmed the second case of H1N1 in 
the territory on May 13, bringing to two the number of cases 
in Hong Kong to date (the first patient confirmed on 1 May 
with H1N1 has since recovered completely and been released). 
The second case is a 24-year old Hong Kong resident who 
returned to Hong Kong on May 11 aboard Cathay Pacific Flight 
CX879 from San Francisco. The patient developed symptoms 
before departing the U.S. but knowingly opted to travel 
anyway, reporting the ongoing illness symptoms upon entry to 
Hong Kong.  The subject was immediately taken by ambulance to 
Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong's designated treatment 
center, where he remains in quarantine under a physician's 
care.  As a precaution, 13 crew members and passengers aboard 
the same flight have been placed in a seven-day quarantine at 
Lady MacLehose Camp.  They join a number of other aircraft 
passengers who transferred on flights from Japan to Hong Kong 
after sitting in proximity to four H1N1-confirmed Japanese 
nationals who tested positive after arriving in Tokyo on from 
the U.S. on May 8.  This group, including all six U.S. 
citizens currently quarantined in Hong Kong, are scheduled 
for release on May 15. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The second H1N1 confirmation comes on the heels of a 
rising chorus of reporting and editorials in Hong Kong's open 
press critical of the U.S. handling of the H1N1 outbreak. 
Citing the number of confirmed U.S. H1N1 cases, several 
articles have been published in the main stream media 
directly asking why the U.S. is not taking aggressive action 
to contain the virus within its borders and accusing the U.S. 
of "irresponsibly" exporting H1N1.  In a likely response to 
such criticisms, some of which are coming directly from 
members of Hong Kong's Legislative Council (Legco), Hong 
Kong's Health Secretary York Chow sent an urgent letter to 
the U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services on May 13 
asking the U.S. to consider more stringent exit screening 
measures to help prevent passengers carrying H1N1 from 
boarding flights.  Chow concluded the letter by stating he 
planned on attending the annual assembly of the World Health 
Assembly (WHA) on Monday, May 18, where he hoped to discuss 
the matter directly with U.S. health officials.  Chow told 
the public late on May 13 that he had sent the letter.  He 
also faxed to Consulate General Hong Kong a copy, which we 
have sent to EAP/CM. 
DONOVAN