VZCZCXRO7010
RR RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM
DE RUEHMC #0178/01 1381429
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181429Z MAY 09
FM AMCONSUL MONTERREY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3690
INFO RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 4744
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RUEHMC/AMCONSUL MONTERREY 9263

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MONTERREY 000178 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC CASC KSCA TBIO MX
SUBJECT: NUEVO LEON'S HEALTH SECRETARY BRIEFS ON H1N1 FLU 
 
MONTERREY 00000178  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  Summary.  On May 14, 2009 Monterrey Consul General, Econoff 
and ACS Deputy met with Nuevo Leon Secretary of Health Gilberto 
Montiel Amoroso to discuss the state's response to the H1N1 
outbreak and its capacity to handle future pandemics.  The 
capital of Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, is the third largest city in 
country and the industrial capital of northern Mexico.  Situated 
only 150 miles from the U.S. border, the city is also regional 
headquarters for many U.S. based businesses.  There have been 25 
cases and one death of H1N1 flu reported in the state.  Montiel 
credits the state's swift response for containing the outbreak 
and he believes the state is now better positioned to handle 
pandemics in the future.  End Summary. 
 
 
 
Timeline of State Actions to Prevent Contamination 
 
 
 
¶2.  Nuevo Leon's state government convened its State Committee 
on Health Security on April 24, the same day schools and public 
institutions were closed in Mexico City.  The following day, the 
Governor, Jose Natividad Gonzalez Paras declared a state of 
alert and urged citizens to take precautions to prevent the 
spread of the flu.  Two days after the school closures in Mexico 
City, the state formed an Emergency Committee for the Prevention 
and Treatment of Viral Epidemics.   The committee closed all 
schools in the state from April 27 to May 6 and also began a 
public awareness campaign.  On Wednesday April 29, checkpoints 
were established on the six major highways entering the state. 
Health officials also began visual inspections of passengers at 
airports and bus terminals.  During the long May Day break, May 
1 -5, the governor required that all nonessential government and 
private businesses shut down.  On May 6, business and public 
institutions (except for schools) reopened for business.  High 
schools and universities reopened on May 7; grade schools and 
daycare reopened May 11. 
 
 
 
Public Awareness 
 
 
 
¶3.  Montiel explained that public education was a crucial 
element to combating the H1N1 flu.  Rumors of a high number of 
deaths and a high fatality rate were rampant in the Monterrey 
metropolitan area.  The state began as early as April 26 an 
organized campaign to promote public and personal hygiene 
through TV and radio commercials, information booths in public 
areas and seminars to public employees such as teachers, nurses 
and police officers.  The outreach also emphasized that the H1N1 
flu was fully treatable if caught in time. 
 
 
 
Current Capacity 
 
 
 
¶4.  There are now five testing machines capable of analyzing flu 
virus samples - two testing machines are owned by the Department 
of Health, and the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, the 
University of Monterrey, and Monterrey Tec's San Jose Hospital 
each have one machine.  Each of the five testing machines is 
capable of testing 330 samples per day.  Previously the state 
did not have any testing equipment.  Reports of a young woman's 
death from the H1N1 flu in the Monterrey area on April 25 caused 
widespread fear in the state.  The woman's death was later found 
not to have been caused by the H1N1 flu but it took eight days 
to receive the test results.  At the peak of the outbreak, there 
were 310 unconfirmed cases of H1N1 flu in the state. 
 
 
 
¶5.  Monterrey now has three hospitals with wards dedicated to 
quarantine patients suspected of having flu like symptoms in 
order to help prevent further contamination.   The hospitals are 
the Infant Hospital, Hospital Metropolitano and the Clinica 2 
del IMSS.  For the treatment of future flu outbreaks, the state 
has 12,000 doses of Tamiflu available. 
 
 
 
Advisory Council 
 
 
 
¶6.  The Emergency Committee for the Prevention and Treatment of 
 
MONTERREY 00000178  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Viral Epidemics which was vital in the decision making process 
for the state government was made of up of medical experts from 
various hospitals, state and local government agencies, local 
universities and a representative from the University of Texas' 
Institute of Molecular Medicine, Dr. Thomas Caskey.  Access to 
the University of Texas is noteworthy since it is a direct 
resource most Mexican states do not available and was made 
possible by the border relationships between Texas and Nuevo 
Leon.   On May 11, the governor reconstituted the emergency 
committee into a permanent scientific advisory board including a 
permanent seat for the University of Texas. 
 
 
 
¶7.  Comments.  As a result of  H1N1 flu Nuevo Leon is better 
prepared to handle future outbreaks.  The state did not have 
testing facilities or a scientific advisory council prior to the 
outbreak.  Nuevo Leon has also taken the initiative of working 
in directly with the University of Texas which has access to 
more equipment and epidemiologists than the state can provide. 
Going forward however, Nuevo Leon does not yet have an action 
plan for how to handle the expected return of the H1N1 virus 
during the normal flu season.  Montiel commented that it was 
still too early to create an action plan and will wait to see 
what happens during the summer months.  End Comments. 
WILLIAMSON