VZCZCXRO6257
OO RUEHAST RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKO #1030 1250941
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 050941Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2738
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO CITY 0611
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 5138
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9120
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 3840
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 1491
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 6177
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 7642
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 4376
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3519
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4920
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 8621
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY IA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS TOKYO 001030 
 
DEPT FOR OES/IHB AMBASSADOR LOFTIS 
DEPT FOR EAP/J, EAP/EX, CA 
USDA PASS TO APHIS, FAS FOR BURDETT 
HHS PASS TO CDC 
HHS FOR OGHA 
DEPT PASS TO AID/GH/HIDN 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU AEMR AESC CASC KFLO TBIO KSAF KPAO PREL PINR
AMGT, MG, EAGR, JA 
SUBJECT: MGSF01 May 5 UPDATE ON JAPAN'S RESPONSE TO H1N1 OUTBREAK 
 
REF: A) TOKYO 965; B) TOKYO 982; C) TOKYO 993; D)TOKYO 1008; E)TOKYO 
1024 
 
This Message is Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please handle 
accordingly. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: No human cases of the novel H1N1 influenza virus 
have been confirmed in Japan.  A U.S. service member was under 
observation at Kansai International Airport May 5 after a passenger 
on the service member's flight showed flu symptoms.  A Japanese 
woman who arrived from Los Angeles at Narita airport May 4 and 
initially tested positive for Type A influenza was later confirmed 
not to be infected with the novel strain.  At least 35 other 
passengers and two flight attendants were quarantined for more than 
12 hours pending confirmation of the virus.  The infant hospitalized 
at Yokota Air Base May 1 was determined May 3 not to be infected 
with the novel H1N1 strain.  The child and mother, along with 13 
other passengers quarantined pending results of virus testing, were 
released May 3.  In coordination with U.S. Forces Japan, the GOJ, 
and Post, Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases 
confirmed a virus sample from the infant to be a seasonal influenza 
strain.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) As of May 5, 2009 1700 local time, no human cases of the 
novel Type A H1N1 influenza virus have been confirmed in Japan. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Foreign Ministry officials told emboffs May 5 a U.S. 
service member who arrived on a flight at Kansai International 
Airport (KIX) was under observation after a passenger seated nearby 
showed flu symptoms.  Post is working to obtain further details. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Media reported a Japanese woman who arrived on American 
Airlines from Los Angeles at Narita airport May 4 and initially 
tested positive for Type A influenza was later confirmed not to be 
infected with the novel H1N1 strain.  At least 35 other passengers 
and two flight attendants were quarantined for at least 12 hours 
pending confirmation of the virus.  Quarantine officers continue to 
board flights arriving from the U.S., Mexico, Canada and other 
affected countries and health screening and quarantine procedures 
continue to cause significant delays for some arriving passengers. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Based on information from USFJ and the Embassy, the 
Foreign Ministry announced May 3 that the 4 month-old child 
hospitalized upon arrival at Yokota Air Base May 1 was not infected 
with the novel H1N1 influenza virus.  Results of tests conducted by 
Japan's National Institute for Infectious Diseases (NIID) confirmed 
the infant had seasonal flu.  The USFJ reported the baby had 
returned to normal health and was released from isolation with the 
mother May 3.  Thirteen other passengers seated near the infant on 
the U.S. Air Force's May 1 "Patriot Express" flight were also 
released from observation May 3.  The USFJ and the Embassy conveyed 
to the GOJ that U.S. military installations will continue to conduct 
screening for passengers entering Japan in a manner similar to those 
measures implemented at Japanese civilian airports. 
(Note: The USFJ initially sent virus samples from the infant to 
U.S.-based labs for confirmation expected within a number of days. 
Late on May 1, Japanese government officials contacted the Embassy 
with an offer to test a sample at Japan's NIID.  In coordination 
with the Embassy, MOFA, and the Ministry of Health, USFJ delivered a 
sample from the infant to NIID the morning of May 2.  The NIID 
confirmed the case was the "Soviet" strain of Type A influenza just 
after midnight May 3.  End Note). 
 
ZUMWALT