VZCZCXRO3425
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDF RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA RUEHPB
RUEHPOD RUEHSL RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHRL #0925/01 2151428
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 031428Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4825
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0088
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0389
RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT 8199
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE USD FAS WASHINGTON DC 0154
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0813
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1525
RHEFHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 000925 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/CE PETER SCHROEDER 
STATE FOR OES/IHB 
STATE FOR AID/GH/HIDN 
USDA PASS TO APHIS 
HHS PASS TO CDC 
HHS FOR OGHA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KFLU ECON PREL SOCI CASC EAGR MX GM
SUBJECT: GERMANY H1N1 UPDATE: 6,800 CONFIRMED CASES 
 
REF:  A) Berlin 917, B) Berlin 908 and previous. 
 
¶1. (U)  SUMMARY: The number of H1N1 infections in Germany rose 
by 738 cases to a total of 6,800 on August 3. The majority of 
new infections occurred abroad.  Doctors warn of unknown side 
effects of H1N1 vaccine. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U)  The National Reference Center for Influenza at the 
Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced in its press briefing on 
August 3, 738 new (laboratory and non-laboratory) confirmed 
cases of H1N1.  This increases the total number of H1N1 cases 
to 6,800.  New cases were distributed among fifteen federal 
states: North Rhine-Westphalia (188), Lower-Saxony (139), 
Rhineland-Palatinate (103), Baden-Wuerttemberg (74), Saxony- 
Anhalt (35), Hesse (35), Saxony (29), Saarland (29), Berlin 
(25), Schleswig-Holstein (25), Bavaria (22), Bremen (14), 
Brandenburg (12), Thuringia (6) and Hamburg (2). 
 
¶3. (U)  According to RKI, the increase in the number of 
infections is mainly due to people returning from travel 
abroad (600 new cases which represents 81 percent).  Newly 
confirmed cases include laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 as 
well as non-laboratory-confirmed cases, mainly from people who 
have showed symptoms after being in contact with a patient who 
has been tested positive at a labor for the new virus.  So 
far, all cases are reportedly mild. 
 
¶4. (U)  North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) remains the German state 
with the highest number of virus cases among all German states 
with a total of 2,634, followed by Lower-Saxony (1222) and 
Baden-Wuerttemberg (674 cases).  Less than 22 percent (1422) 
of all confirmed infections in Germany have resulted from 
domestic transmission. 
 
 
Concerns for Vaccine Side Effects 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U)  Health care experts have raised concerns regarding 
possible side effects were a nationwide immunization campaign 
carried out.  Although no H1N1 vaccine has yet been developed, 
previous experience with large scale influenza immunization 
programs indicates that up to one in a hundred individuals 
could have a serious negative reaction to a vaccine.  Given 
that Germany plans to obtain vaccinations for 25 million 
individuals, up to 250,000 of the total could suffer serious 
reactions to the vaccine. 
 
 
Public Awareness Motivates Preventative Measures 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶6. (U)   A recent survey conducted by Polis/USUMA polling 
company for FOCUS magazine revealed that 37 percent of Germans 
are washing their hands more frequently hoping it will reduce 
the risk of getting infected with the new virus.  An 
additional 20 percent are trying to avoid large groups of 
people, 16 percent are reducing the amount of hugging and 
kissing in greeting rituals, and 15 percent have stopped 
shaking hands.  Half of those interviewed said they were not 
concerned and were not taking any specific precautionary 
measures against the virus. 
 
 
Berlin Could See 450,000 Cases 
------------------------------ 
 
¶7. (U)  Experts cautioned that a flu outbreak in Germany's 
capital could affect a minimum of 450,000 people if the virus 
spreads further in Berlin.  A worse case scenario predicts 
half of all Berliners contracting H1N1.  According to media 
reports, the Pandemic Influenza Plan of the Berlin health 
administration estimates that up to 270,000 additional medical 
consultations and 7700 additional hospital treatment will be 
required.  The head of the EU Parliament Health Committee, Joe 
 
BERLIN 00000925  002 OF 002 
 
 
Leinen (SPD) said that the EU expects over one million H1N1 
cases in fall, including more fatal cases. 
 
 
BRADTKE