VZCZCXRO7637
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHFK RUEHHM RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH RUEHPB
DE RUEHML #1338/01 1750853
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 240853Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4478
INFO RHHMUNA/USPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHZU/ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 001338 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
BANGKOK FOR HOWELL HOWARD AND WINSTON BOWMAN 
STATE PASS USTR JANE DOHERTY 
STATE PASS USDA/FAS/OSTA CLAY HAMILTON AND CASEY BEAN 
STATE PASS USAID 
STATE PASS HHS/NIH 
STATE PASS HHS/CDC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO TBIO KSAF KPAO PREL PINR
AMGT, MG, RP 
SUBJECT: Philippines' First A(H1N1) Influenza Death 
 
REF:  A) MANILA 1108  B) MANILA 1246 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary:  The Philippine Department of Health has confirmed 
the country's first death related to Influenza A(H1N1): a 
49-year-old woman employee of the Philippine House of 
Representatives with a history of heart disease.  The death and a 
growing number of confirmed cases (near 500) prompted the Health 
Department to declare a low-level community outbreak in Metropolitan 
Manila and call for a high-level meeting on June 25 to discuss 
response measures.  Post continues to monitor the potential for a 
wider outbreak of the virus (Ref A).  Mission will continue to work 
with Philippine government and health officials to emphasize an 
appropriately calibrated public health and public information 
response to what has so far been a relatively mild influenza virus. 
End summary. 
 
First A(H1N1) Death in Asia 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) On June 19, Asia's first reported death caused by Influenza 
A(H1N1) occurred in Manila.  The 49-year-old female had pre-existing 
chronic heart disease that was aggravated by the flu virus.  The 
woman came home from work at the House of Representatives 
complaining of weakness and died two days later of congestive heart 
failure.  In response, the Speaker of the House dismissed all staff 
at noon June 23, after requiring more than 3,000 House employees to 
receive flu vaccinations.  The week-long hiatus is intended to allow 
the government to undertake decontamination and sanitation 
procedures at legislative offices.  Work will resume Monday, June 29 
though the Legislature is still in recess for another month. 
 
¶3.  (U) The Department of Health declared a "low-level community 
outbreak" in Metro Manila on June 23.  The Department of Health 
characterizes the severity of the outbreak in the Philippines as 
mild and reports that 85 percent of the near 500 confirmed infected 
persons recovered after only three to four days of mild illness. 
The Department will convene a national conference June 25 to discuss 
and revise appropriate response measures.  The Health Department's 
response is shifting from a focus on stopping transmission and 
detection of affected individuals to a focus on treatment of 
individuals at high risk for complications and continued public 
education.  The Health Department has partnered with the Philippines 
largest mobile telephone network to launch a texting hotline to 
provide the public updates on A(H1N1).  The Department of Health 
website also regularly posts A(H1N1)updates on its website 
(http://www.doh.gov.ph/h1n1/). 
 
School Dismissals 
----------------- 
 
¶4.  (U) Upon advice from the Health Department, forty public and 
private schools and universities in Metro Manila have voluntarily 
closed for 10-day periods to minimize opportunities for flu 
transmission.  To compensate for missed classes, schools will hold 
Saturday classes, have shorter holiday breaks, or extend the school 
calendar year. 
 
Filipinos and Foreigners Face Quarantines 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) Singapore authorities quarantined all 20 members of the 
visiting national Philippine soccer team over June 20 weekend after 
one Filipino player tested positive for the A(H1N1) virus. 
Singapore authorities denied the Philippine request to cut the 
quarantine period to five days, preventing the Philippine team from 
playing the qualifying rounds of the first Asian Youth Games. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Within the Philippines, a visiting U.S. musician was 
refused entry at the University of Santo Tomas Manila campus last 
week for not having been in the country for at least 10 days, a 
government-recommended self-confinement period for persons coming 
from countries affected by the A(H1N1) virus.  Her class has been 
rescheduled for June 26, by which time she will have met the 10-day 
requirement (Ref B). 
 
¶7.  (SBU) On June 20, the visiting USNS Impeccable and its crew were 
quarantined and tested for flu-like symptoms upon arrival at the 
Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Zambales province.  The crew was 
eventually cleared for quartering and crew change at the port, and 
 
MANILA 00001338  002 OF 002 
 
 
departed as scheduled on June 22. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The Philippine typhoon season from June to November 
usually coincides with its flu and dengue season, placing a greater 
burden on the health system and highlighting the importance of 
accurate risk communication to the public.  In this context, the 
country will need to continue monitoring the A(H1N1) outbreak and 
adapting appropriate response measures.  However, Mission has also 
noted an upswing in public concern in recent weeks, some of it 
focused on visiting foreigners and those with recent overseas 
travel.  Mission will continue to monitor carefully the responses of 
Philippine government and health officials, as well as the media and 
general public, to ensure that the high-profile headlines do not 
overshadow the fact that this is a relatively mild influenza with a 
very low mortality rate so far. 
 
KENNEY