VZCZCXRO2996
RR RUEHAST RUEHCHI RUEHDH RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHNH RUEHPB
RUEHPOD RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKL #0362 1330936
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 130936Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2710
INFO RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1716
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KUALA LUMPUR 000362 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR CA/OCS/EAP 
STATE FOR M/PRI FOR RMORRITZ 
STATE FOR S/ES-O/CMS FOR EPARRA 
STATE FOR EAP/MTS FOR DBISCHOF 
STATE FOR OES/AIAG FOR AMBASSSADOR LOFTIS, DWINN AND 
CPATTERSON 
STATE FOR REO/BKK FOR HHOWARD 
STATE FOR OES/IHB, AAIT, MED 
HHS FOR OGHA STEIGER AND HICKEY 
CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID AND COGH 
USDA FOR APHIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU AEMR ASEC AMED CASC KFLO TBIO KSAF KPAO PREL
PINR, AMGT, TF, MY 
SUBJECT: TFFLU01: MALAYSIA H1N1 UPDATE - MAY 13, 2009 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: Malaysia has no reported human H1N1 cases.  Two 
confirmed cases in neighboring Thailand have led to increased 
surveillance.  The Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) 
issued a more specific travel advisory, which again recommends 
against all non-essential travel to the U.S. but adds that all 
travel to heavily affected regions like Illinois, Wisconsin, and 
California should be deferred.  Post continued its efforts to 
persuade the Government of Malaysia (GOM) to lift its freeze on pork 
imports (see septel).  END SUMMARY. 
 
H1N1 Screening and Testing 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Thermal screening has increased with the installation of 
new thermal imagers.  There are now 11 thermal scanners at six ports 
of entry: Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the Kuala Lumpur Low 
Cost Carrier Terminal, the Kota Kinabalu International Airport, the 
Bayan Lepas International Airport in Penang, Kuching International 
Airport in Sarawak and Senai International Airport, Johor. 
Approximately 6,000 passengers are being screened each day at these 
airports with another 100 to 300 travelers being manually screened 
at land and sea ports of entry.  Passengers showing influenza-like 
illness symptoms continue to be referred to one of 28 Ministry of 
Health (MOH) hospitals for testing.  So far, all cases have returned 
a negative result from the rapid testing.  No samples were sent to 
the WHO reference lab in Melbourne for further testing. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) MedOff reports cases of seasonal influenza.  All cases 
have been confirmed negative for H1N1.  Seasonal Influenza A is 
anecdotally widespread in Malaysia and Singapore but exact numbers 
are not tracked.  Unfortunately, most local hospitals do not have 
samples for annual influenza.  As such, all cases that meet the case 
definition must be sent to the MOH hospital for further testing. 
 
Travel Warning 
-------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The MFA travel advisory issued on May 12 is more specific 
than the last advisory issued on April 27.  This advisory recommends 
travelers defer all non-essential trips to the U.S., Mexico, Canada, 
Spain, and the United Kingdom on the basis that "96.8 percent of the 
reported cases hail from the five countries."  The advisory goes a 
step further and recommends travelers defer any trips to heavily hit 
places, specifically naming only three locations: Illinois, 
Wisconsin, and California.  The advisory remains voluntary and was 
ironically issued by MFA on the same day that the local media is 
reporting Minister of Foreign Affairs Anifah Aman will travel to the 
U.S. on May 14. 
 
Pork Import Freeze 
------------------ 
 
¶5.  (SBU) FAS Attache met with officials from the Ministry of 
Agriculture and Agro-based Industries (MOA) and the Department of 
Veterinary Services on May 11 to discuss the current import freeze 
on pork products.  These officials admitted that the decision to 
freeze pork imports was not based on a sound scientific rationale, 
but said that it was a necessary and temporary step to allay fears 
in society and stave off calls for more drastic measures.  The GOM 
is conducting an extensive surveillance of all local pig farms and 
is unlikely to consider lifting the freeze until that exercise is 
completed in one or two weeks time.  Post will continue to engage 
GOM authorities on the pork freeze issue. 
 
KEITH