VZCZCXRO2522
PP RUEHAST RUEHCN RUEHDH RUEHGH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
RUEHTM RUEHTRO RUEHVC
DE RUEHIN #0626/01 1460930
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 260930Z MAY 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1646
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 4638
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RHMFIUU/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 2739

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000626 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS OES/IHA, OES/IHB FOR AMB LOFTIS, HHS FOR MARK 
ABDOO, CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID, BANGKOK FOR CDC BAGGETT, 
USDA/FAS FOR OFSO/WAINIO OSTA/HAMILTON, OCRA/BEILLARD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: 
CH 
SUBJECT: TAIWAN CONFIRMS NINE CASES OF H1N1 FLU 
 
REF: TAIPEI 622 AND PREVIOUS 
 
 ¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  Taiwan health officials have confirmed 9 
cases of the H1N1 virus to date, including a case of locally 
contracted H1N1 virus.  Because of this first case of local 
contagion, authorities have upgraded Taiwan from a pandemic 
alert level of "Yellow 2" to "Yellow 3".  Of the 9 
individuals who have contracted H1N1, the first has already 
completed treatment and was released from the hospital, while 
the remaining 8 cases are still being treated.  Department of 
Health (DOH) Minister Yeh Ching-chuan canceled plans to 
accompany President Ma to Central America and will instead 
remain in Taiwan to address the H1N1 situation.  More Tamiflu 
dosages are being ordered in preparation for a potential H1N1 
outbreak in the Fall.  END SUMMARY. 
 
EIGHT NEW H1N1 CASES WITHIN A WEEK 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Taiwan identified its first H1N1 case on May 20 
(reftel), and the tally has now increased to 9 cases. 
Although the first H1NI patient has recovered and left the 
hospital May 23, the increase in cases has alarmed local 
authorities, who had not expected such a rapid increase in 
cases.  On May 22, the sixth case was confirmed, contracted 
by the daughter of case number four, (reftel) who flew to 
Taiwan from Manila on May 20.  The seventh case is the first 
confirmed case of local contagion, a 40-year-old female who 
attended a dinner at the home of case number four.  Cases 
eight and nine belong to Taiwan students returning from the 
U.S. who took EVA airlines flight BR 007 from San Francisco 
on May 23 and arrived at Taipei's Taoyuan Airport on May 24. 
The two developed a fever on May 19-20.  Upon arrival, the 
airport temperature sensors did not detect them since their 
fever had subsided.  However, an alert taxi driver took them 
to Taoyuan General Hospital when they described their 
condition.  The two were subsequently diagnosed as H1N1 
positive. 
 
 
MORE H1N1 FROM RETURNING STUDENTS LIKELY 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU)  The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) at 
Taiwan's CDC warned that as long as the outbreaks in the U.S. 
and Canada continue, with the onset of summer vacations, the 
increasing number of students returning to Taiwan will likely 
bring a rise in H1N1 cases.  H1N1 case number 6 (see par. 2) 
attended school following her return from the Philippines, 
and Taipei County ordered her Yungho Township school shut for 
a week starting May 23. 
 
TAIWAN IN SEPARATE WHO TALLY OF H1N1 CASES 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (SBU) DOH Minister Yeh also said on May 25 that the WHO 
website listed Taiwan H1N1 cases separately from those of the 
PRC under the name "Chinese Taipei", a format which is 
acceptable to Taiwan.  WHO previously listed Taiwan data 
under the PRC's, and Taiwan stopped providing data until this 
was changed.  Yeh cancelled his trip plans to Central America 
with President Ma in response to the growing H1N1 threat. 
 
MORE TAMIFLU AVAILABILITY 
------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) DOH Minister Yeh also said Taiwan will procure raw 
materials worth NT$ 600 million ($18 million) to manufacture 
1 million doses of Tamiflu.  DOH is also preparing to stock 
10 million doses of Tamiflu, 2.5 million of which will be 
bought from overseas and the rest manufactured domestically. 
Yeh claimed the drugs could be ready by October if needed to 
counter a Fall return of the H1N1 virus. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TAIPEI 00000626  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
 
YOUNG