VZCZCXRO3481
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK
RUEHYG
DE RUEHLI #0471 2401151
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281151Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY LISBON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7843
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHPD/AMCONSUL PONTA DELGADA 0621
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC

UNCLAS LISBON 000471 
 
SIPDIS 
 
HHS FOR CDC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CASC AMED KFLU ETRD EAGR ECON EC PGOV PO
SUBJECT: PORTUGAL H1N1 UPDATE - AUG 27 
 
¶1.  As of August 23, Portugal has 2,244 H1N1 cases with no 
confirmed fatalities to date.  411 additional cases were 
confirmed in the past week.  10 patients remain hospitalized, 
2 in intensive care.  The average age for Portuguese cases is 
22.4 years old and 88 percent are under 40 years old. 
 
¶2.  Health Minister Ana Jorge estimates that 90 percent of 
the Portuguese cases will not require hospitalization. 
Health officials are now focused on treating the ill rather 
than on the prevention of new cases, therefore pregnant 
women, children under 1 year old, the elderly and other 
high-risk individuals will only receive prophylactic 
treatment if they have been in contact with another person 
infected with H1N1. 
 
¶3.  The rate of new cases is expected to increase in 
September as people return from their holidays and children 
begin the new school year.  According to health officials, 24 
percent of those infected are children under 14 years old, 
and concerned parents are delaying their children's return to 
school. 
 
¶4.  100 additional nurses have been added to the national 
dial-in helpline to handle increased call volume, and another 
120 nurses are being trained.  Health officials are also 
negotiating to add an additional 420 staff for a new backup 
call center. 
 
 
For more reporting from Embassy Lisbon and information about Portugal, 
please see our Intelink site: 
 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/portal:port ugal 
BALLARD