VZCZCXRO4266
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDF RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA RUEHPB
RUEHPOD RUEHSL RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHRL #0937 2161257
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041257Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4844
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0093
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0391
RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT 8205
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE USD FAS WASHINGTON DC 0156
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0820
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1532
RHEFHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS BERLIN 000937 
 
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: H1N1 UPDATE: 7,177 CONFIRMED CASES 
 
REF:  A) Berlin 925, B) Berlin 917 and previous. 
 
¶1. (U)  SUMMARY: The number of H1N1 infections in Germany rose 
by 377 cases to a total of 7,177 on August 4. The majority of 
new infections occurred abroad.  Some of Germany's Federal 
States are considering extending school summer vacations in 
for school breaks.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U)  The National Reference Center for Influenza at the 
Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced in its press briefing on 
August 4, 377 new (laboratory and non-laboratory) confirmed 
cases of H1N1.  This increases the total number of H1N1 cases 
to 7,177.  New cases were distributed among the federal 
states: North Rhine-Westphalia (148), Lower-Saxony (84), 
Bavaria (57), Hamburg (24), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (21), 
Rhineland-Palatinate (18), Brandenburg (9), Berlin (8), Baden- 
Wuerttemberg (5), Saxony (2) and Hesse (1). 
 
¶3. (U)  According to RKI, the increase in the number of 
infections is mainly due to people returning from travel 
abroad (287 new cases which represents 76 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 2,782, followed by Lower-Saxony (1306) and 
Baden-Wuerttemberg (679 cases).  Less than 22 percent (1515) 
of all confirmed infections in Germany have resulted from 
domestic transmission. 
 
 
Discussion over longer school breaks 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶5. (U)  A number of Germany's federal states are considering 
extending the summer school breaks due to concerns over the 
spread of H1N1.  Media reports indicate that the health 
ministry of North Rhine-Westphalia is considering keeping 
schools closed beyond August 18, the regular start of school, 
to slow the spread of the virus.  About 39 percent of all 
confirmed virus cases in Germany occurred in North Rhine 
Westphalia.  A decision is expected next week.  The Berlin 
Senate Administration for Health does not consider an 
extension of the summer break at this point in time but will 
observe the situation and decide in the new future. 
 
 
BRADTKE