VZCZCXRO9768
OO RUEHAST RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKO #1161/01 1410807
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 210807Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3147
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO CITY 0633
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 5418
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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 5181
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
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RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 001161 
 
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 UPDATE ON H1N1 OUTBREAK IN JAPAN 
 
REF: TOKYO 1150 and previous 
 
TOKYO 00001161  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please handle accordingly. 
 
This Message is sensitive but unclassified.  Please handle 
accordingly. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: Japanese authorities confirmed the first two 
cases of A H1N1 influenza in Tokyo and its neighbor city, Kawasaki 
(in Kanagawa Prefecture) the evening of May 20.  Two students, who 
attend the same high school in Kawasaki, returned to the Tokyo area 
from New York May 19, and tested positive for H1N1 the following 
day.  Neither locality plans to close schools or restrict public 
events, although at least one Tokyo area international school plans 
to close for the day on May 22.  Ten Americans are among 17 
passengers who sat near the students.  Japanese officials are 
attempting to contact them to monitor their health.  Chief Cabinet 
Secretary Kawamura announced the GOJ has no plan to raise the 
domestic alert level in response to the two new cases. 
End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) As of May 21, 2009 1300 local time, media report 281 
confirmed human cases of the novel Type A H1N1 influenza in Japan. 
No H1N1 influenza deaths have been reported.  There are no reports 
of H1N1 infection among Americans in Japan. 
 
¶3.  (U) The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced May 20 a student 
who returned to Tokyo from the United States May 19 had tested 
positive for the H1N1 virus, making her the first case reported in 
the Tokyo area.  Later in the evening of May 20, Kawasaki City 
Government reported that another student living in Kawasaki also 
tested positive for H1N1.  The two students attend the same high 
school in Kawasaki.  They visited New York from May 11 to 18 to 
attend the National Model United Nations conference together with 
four students and a teacher from the same high school and 10 
students from five other schools in Tokyo, as well as Kanagawa and 
Chiba Prefectures.  They arrived at Narita Airport May 19 via 
Continental Airlines Flight 09.  The students reported symptoms, 
including fever during the flight, but were negative for A and B 
influenza in a primary test at the airport.  After they reached 
home, they developed a high fever and reported to local health 
authorities who confirmed infection with H1N1. 
 
¶4.  (U) The press reported there were 17 passengers sitting near the 
two students on the flight, including six Japanese, ten Americans, 
and one Spaniard.  The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will 
contact them to monitor their health and ask them to stay at home. 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura announced the GOJ has no plan to 
raise the domestic alert level in response to the new cases. 
 
¶5.  (U) Prior to travelling to New York, the students' high school 
instructed them to stay at home for 10 days after returning to 
Japan.  Thus, neither of the students had gone to class before being 
diagnosed with the virus.  However, the high school decided to close 
its group schools for seven days.  Neither Tokyo nor Kawasaki is 
planning to close public schools or restrict public events at this 
stage. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) A student at the Chofu campus of American School in Japan, 
who returned from the U.S. on the same plane as the two students 
infected with H1N1, reported flu-like symptoms the morning of May 
21, but tested negative for the virus later in the day.  At least 
one international school in the Tokyo area announced plans to close 
on May 22 and cancelled some extra curricular activities. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001161  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
ZUMWALT