VZCZCXRO5223
RR RUEHAST RUEHCHI RUEHDH RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHNH RUEHPB
RUEHPOD RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKL #0377 1350942
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 150942Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2726
INFO RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1719
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KUALA LUMPUR 000377 
 
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 15, 2009 
 
REF:  Kuala Lumpur 362 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY:  The Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed the 
first case of H1N1 in Malaysia.  The infected individual is a 21 
year old Malaysian man who was studying in the U.S.  The individual 
has been quarantined at a government hospital where he is reported 
to be in stable condition.  WHO is still awaiting official 
notification from MOH before including this case in their official 
H1N1 count.  However, they expect to receive this notification 
shortly.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U)  The infected individual is a Malaysian citizen who was 
studying in the U.S.  Post has not yet learned where in the U.S. he 
was studying and living but is continuing efforts to learn this 
information.  He arrived in Malaysia on May 13 aboard Malaysia 
Airlines flight MH091 originating in Newark.  MOH has publicly urged 
all passengers on that flight to contact the ministry.  The infected 
man successfully passed the screening at Kuala Lumpur International 
Airport (KLIA) along with all other passengers on the flight.  He 
did not become symptomatic until May 14.  He voluntarily sought 
medical attention after suffering from fever, sore throat, and body 
aches. 
 
¶3.  (U) Because the individual fit the case description for H1N1, he 
was taken to Sungai Buloh hospital in the Kuala Lumpur metropolitan 
area.  This is the primary hospital designated by MOH for the 
treatment and quarantining of H1N1.  28 others hospitals throughout 
Malaysia have also been designated and put on alert.  A sample was 
taken and tests at the Malaysian Institute of Medical Research (IMR) 
revealed he was positive for Influenza A(H1N1).  IMR uses 
CDC-provided test kits and WHO is confident in their testing 
procedures.  As such, a WHO official confirmed to ESTHoff that this 
case will be included in the WHO statistics as soon as notification 
is received from MOH, which is expected shortly. 
 
¶4.  (U) The infected man was given anti-viral treatment and is 
reportedly in stable condition.  His quarantine will likely last one 
to two weeks per MOH protocol.  MOH has contacted his family but 
they have not been placed under quarantine at this time. 
 
¶5.  (U)  MOH Director General Ismail Merican urged the public not to 
panic, stating that MOH was treating the matter appropriately. 
There have been 10 other suspected cases in Malaysia, all of which 
were subsequently tested and cleared for H1N1 infection.  However, 
Merican repeated the May 12 Ministry of Foreign Affairs travel 
advisory to avoid travel to the U.S. and other affected countries 
(see reftel). 
 
¶6.  (U) Minister of Health Liow Tiong Lai is in transit to the World 
Health Assembly in Geneva.  He will reportedly cut short his trip to 
this already-shortened meeting.  Liow has stated to the media that 
he will push for the WHO to recommend exit screening for H1N1 in all 
affected countries, including the U.S. 
 
 
KEITH