VZCZCXRO0998
OO RUEHAST RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKO #1072/01 1311020
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 111020Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2850
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO CITY 0625
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 5201
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9183
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 3907
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 1542
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 6239
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 7709
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 4440
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3524
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4973
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 8626
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY IA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFIUU/USFJ

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 001072 
 
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 11 UPDATE ON JAPAN'S RESPONSE TO H1N1 OUTBREAK 
 
REF: TOKYO 1057 and previous 
 
TOKYO 00001072  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
This Message is Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please handle 
accordingly. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: Four human cases of Type A H1N1 influenza have 
been confirmed in Japan.  All four were among a Japanese school 
group that arrived at Narita Airport on a flight May 8 from Detroit 
following a school trip to Canada; and are being treated in 
isolation at medical facilities near Narita Airport.  Eight 
Americans are among 48 other passengers from the flight who are 
being held in isolation for ten days at an airport hotel.  Four 
additional American passengers submitted to voluntary confinement at 
their Kyoto hotel after local officials determined they had been 
seated near an affected passenger on the May 8 flight.  The Embassy 
has contacted several of the Americans held in isolation and 
confirmed they are able to communicate with outside contacts and 
have Embassy contact information should they require further 
assistance.  United States Forces Japan and the Embassy have 
established lines of communication with the Foreign and Health 
Ministries regarding H1N1 virus sample testing and the tracking of 
those SOFA status personnel subject to health monitoring or 
isolation.  The GOJ contacted the Embassy May 11 regarding a U.S. 
service member who was seated on a flight to Narita Airport near a 
Chinese national who later tested positive in China for the H1N1 
virus.  There are reports of local governments and private companies 
limiting access to facilities for individuals who have recently 
arrived from the U.S., Canada, or Mexico due to H1N1 concerns.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) As of May 11, 2009 1700 local time, four human cases of the 
novel Type A H1N1 influenza have been confirmed in Japan. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Two Japanese students and a teacher traveling home from 
Oakville, Ontario with an Osaka school group tested positive for 
H1N1 influenza May 9 after arriving at Narita Airport from Detroit 
on a Northwest Airlines flight May 8.  A fourth passenger who showed 
no flu symptoms upon arrival, but was held for observation by 
quarantine officials and later reported symptoms, tested positive 
for the H1N1 virus May 11, according to press reports.  All four 
passengers are being treated at medical facilities near Narita 
Airport.  Health Ministry officials said May 9 that 48 other 
passengers on the flight, including the students and teachers in the 
school group and 14 other passengers and crew, will be held in 
isolation for ten days at a Narita hotel while their health is 
monitored for flu symptoms.  Local health clinics will contact and 
conduct follow up checks on all other passengers who remained in 
Japan.  Media reported 193 of the 409 passengers and crew members on 
the flight transferred Narita Airport for foreign destinations. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Health Ministry officials notified emboffs May 9 that 
eight Americans, who were seated within two meters of the affected 
passengers, are among the 48 passengers who will be held in 
isolation for the ten day monitoring period.  Two active-duty 
military service members are among the Americans held.  The Embassy 
contacted one of the Americans held in quarantine May 10 and two 
others on May 11 and confirmed they are able to call family and 
outside contacts, as well as the Embassy should they require further 
assistance.  The Americans said Northwest Airlines is paying for 
their telephone calls up to 100 dollars per day. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  According to the Kyoto City Health and Welfare Bureau, 13 
Americans who were passengers on the May 8 Northwest flight 
voluntarily agreed to remain confined to their Kyoto hotel rooms May 
10 while city officials determined how closely they were seated to 
 
TOKYO 00001072  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
affected passengers.  Among the Americans were 11 university 
students and a professor scheduled to tour Kyoto and Nara and then 
return to the U.S. May 21.  Kyoto City officials told Consulate 
Osaka Officers May 11 that they had asked four members of the 
university group to remain in confinement for the remainder of the 
ten day monitoring period until May 18.  (Note: Health Ministry 
officials told emboffs May 11 that, according to Japan's quarantine 
law, GOJ border officials are authorized to detain suspected H1N1 
cases upon arrival in Japan, but local governments must rely on 
voluntary or cooperative detention for individuals who have already 
entered Japan.  End Note.)  City officials said May 11 that the 
other nine Americans were free to leave confinement.  Officials said 
the confined Americans were able to communicate with family and 
friends and have contact information for Consulate Osaka should they 
need further assistance. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Emboffs met May 11 with U.S. Forces Japan medical officers 
and officials from the Health and Foreign Ministries to establish 
lines of communication for notification of suspected H1N1 cases on 
U.S. bases and virus sample testing at GOJ and local laboratories. 
Health Ministry officials said local government health research 
centers have the capability and primary responsibility to test 
samples for the H1N1 virus.  Japan's National Institute of 
Infectious Diseases (NIID) will receive virus samples 
simultaneously, but will only test samples if the results from local 
labs are inconclusive.  The NIID officials said the institute is 
focusing maximum resources on developing an H1N1 vaccine.  Health 
Ministry officials emphasized that local governments are also 
responsible for monitoring the health of individuals who arrive from 
the U.S., Canada, and Mexico for a ten day period and for tracking 
down those who require isolation.  GOJ officials said they will 
notify the Embassy about SOFA status individuals who arrive at 
civilian airports on flights with possible H1N1 cases.  Officials 
did so later May 11 regarding a U.S. service member who arrived at 
Narita Airport after being seated next to a Chinese national who 
later tested positive in China as China's first confirmed H1N1 case. 
 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Two American professors from California told Consulate 
Osaka officers that Sakai City officials had asked them not to come 
for their scheduled meetings at Sakai City Hall, as the building was 
not accepting visitors from the US, Canada and Mexico due to H1N1 
Influenza concerns.  The professors said the city decided to send 
representatives to meet with the professors at their hotel.  A 
recently returned participant in State's International Visitor 
Program was told by his employer, the company that operates Kansai 
International Airport, to remain at home for ten days due to 
concerns of H1N1 influenza.  Mission has no information, however, to 
suggest that these are anything but isolated cases. 
 
ZUMWALT