VZCZCXRO8403
PP RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHDIR
DE RUEHRH #0837 1760609
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 250609Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1047
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBD/AMEMBASSY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN PRIORITY 0014
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK PRIORITY 0279
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0151
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR PRIORITY 0059
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA PRIORITY 0719
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0491
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT PRIORITY 0028
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0277
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY

UNCLAS RIYADH 000837 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/ARP (HARRIS) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL TBIO KFLU CASC ASEC AMGT SA
SUBJECT: SAUDI ARABIA H1N1 UPDATE: 48 CASES, NO TRAVEL 
BANS, POTENTIALLY MORE CASES 
 
REF: 09RIYADH800 
 
¶1. (SBU) On June 23, the Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed 
45 cases of H1N1 in Saudi Arabia since June 3, and on June 25 
the Arab News reported three additional cases.  The Ministry 
has reported no fatalities to date, and 17 of the H1N1 
patients have been released from the hospital.  Several 
patients were identified as H1N1-positive upon return from 
travel to the Philippines, the United States, Canada, 
Australia, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, and India, and the 
remainder were infected upon close contact with the returning 
travelers.  The H1N1-infected persons reportedly range in age 
from 2 months to 32 years, including 17 under the age of 10. 
Ten of the reported H1N1 cases have been health workers, all 
Filipina and Malaysian nurses. 
 
¶2. (SBU) To date, the Saudi government has imposed no travel 
bans.  Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al-Obaikan, a senior Saudi cleric 
and  member of the Shoura (Consultative) Council was quoted 
by the Okaz Daily as saying "it is not proper to ban people 
from Hajj."   He added that travel to and from countries with 
reported cases of swine flu should not be impaired.  Sheikh 
Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, the Kingdom's Grand Mufti, said the 
concerns over exposure to swine flu at the pilgrimage were 
exaggerated.  The MOH is moving forward with Hajj 
preparations, including a June 28-30 H1N1 workshop with the 
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health 
Organization (WHO) in Jeddah.  Health officials from 20 
health regions will participate, and the H1N1 experts will 
visit the Hajj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International 
Airport in Jeddah to discuss preventive measures. 
 
¶3. (SBU) A nurse who works at King Abdulaziz Medical City 
(KAMC) told Econoff on June 20 that 7 KAMC nurses had tested 
H1N1-positive.  She added that KAMC was treating "several" 
other H1N1 patients, some of whom had been infected by the 
hospital staff.  Econoff later confirmed that only 5 of the 7 
H1N1-positive KAMC nurses had been confirmed in the press by 
the Ministry.  Several other health workers told Econoff that 
they are more concerned about dengue fever than H1N1, as the 
H1N1 strain is very mild, while dengue fever is more 
prevalent and debilitating.   (Note: The Embassy Medical Unit 
reviewed KAMC's H1N1 reporting forms and infection control 
precautions documents, and found the guidance to be 
reasonable.  The transmission of H1N1 between hospital staff 
and patients is partly due to the incubation period of this 
H1N1 strain, and subsequent delayed appearance of symptoms. 
End note.) 
 
¶4. (SBU) Comment:  The Saudi government is responding 
expeditiously to all emerging H1N1 cases, and remains focused 
on prevention and surveillance in preparation for the 
upcoming pilgrimage season.  The health worker's account 
indicates that MOH's reporting regimen is not flawless, but 
Post does not believe that the Kingdom is downplaying the 
seriousness of the outbreak.  End comment. 
 
¶5. (U) Henceforth Post will submit weekly H1N1 updates. 
ERDMAN