VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTV #0986 1250408
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050408Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1643
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
INFO RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 1955
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 5891
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3947

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000986 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NIH FOR INTERNATIONAL 
DEPT FOR OES/IHB,NEA/IPA,AND CA/OCS 
MED FOR SRINIVASAN AND MCFADDEN 
HHS/OSSI FOR MARK ABDY 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KFLU AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO KSAF KPAO PREL PINR
AMGT, MG, AMED, WHO, IS, JO, KWBG, EG 
SUBJECT: MGSF01: TWO ADDITIONAL H1N1 CASES CONFIRMED IN ISRAEL; 
REGIONAL HEALTH COOPERATION EFFORTS RESUME 
 
REF: A) STATE 41745 B) TEL AVIV 932 C) TEL AVIV 949 D) TEL AVIV 958 
 
¶1. (SBU) Over the weekend two additional cases of H1N1 were 
confirmed in Israel, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in 
the nation up to four.  To date, all reported H1N1 infections in 
Israel have been in people who have recently visited Mexico; no 
secondary transmission has been observed.  A 34-year old man was 
identified Friday as the third case, but he recovered so quickly 
that Ministry of Health officials approved his release from the 
hospital on Saturday, despite established guidelines mandating a 
one-week isolation and observation period.  The patient and his 
partner agreed to continue isolation in their home.  A 20-year old 
woman, the most recent case, remains in isolation in a Tel Aviv 
hospital, but the Ministry of Health reports she is recovering well. 
 As a precaution, the Ministry of Health has requested that all 
those who have visited Mexico in the past seven days observe a 
voluntary one-week quarantine in their homes. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Middle East Consortium for Infectious Disease 
Surveillance (MECIDS) met last Friday at the World Health 
Organization offices in East Jerusalem, ending a two-year hiatus. 
MECIDS is comprised of representatives from Israel, the Palestinian 
Authority, and Jordan, and has coordinated previous efforts in avian 
flu pandemic preparedness and foodborne disease surveillance. 
Israeli media reported that a representative from the Egyptian 
embassy in Israel, who also attended the meeting, indicated that 
Egypt may soon join the consortium.  Dr. Alex Leventhal, Director of 
International Relations for the Ministry of Health, told post ESTH 
office that at the meeting Israel promised to help Jordan and the 
Palestinian Authority examine patients suspected of having 
contracted the H1N1 virus and to perform screening of blood samples 
(PCR) at its central laboratory in Tel Hashomer.  Leventhal said the 
meeting was highly cooperative and resulted in a good exchange of 
information among the participants, including some discussion 
regarding what he referred to as a shortage of medications available 
in Jordan and the Palestinian Authority.  He said that Jordan 
reported having only enough flu medication for five percent of its 
population, while the Palestinian Authority reported having enough 
for less than one percent.  (This was also reported in Israeli 
media, but was not confirmed directly.)  According to Leventhal, 
neither Jordan nor the Palestinian Authority requested assistance 
from Israel in obtaining more medication; rather both would pursue 
support from the World Health Organization and the World Bank.  The 
participants agreed to reconvene in two weeks. 
 
CUNNINGHAM