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O 040905Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY BISHKEK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2867
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UNCLAS BISHKEK 001275 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU ECON PREL KG
SUBJECT: FLU HITS KYRGYZSTAN 
 
¶1. Flu season has arrived, and according to local experts 
both the seasonal flu and H1N1 are present in Kyrgyzstan and 
a significant percentage of the population appears to have 
been affected.  As of November 23, the Kyrgyz government 
reported that only 83 cases of H1N1 had been identified, and 
that 25 of those infected individuals had recently arrived 
from other countries.  However, it is likely that the H1N1 
virus is much more wide spread in Kyrgyzstan than this small 
number would indicate, and that other cases have simply not 
been detected.  Reportedly, the World Health Organization 
predicted that at least 30 percent of those living in 
Kyrgyzstan will be infected with the H1N1 virus this winter. 
 
¶2.  With heightened public concern due to fears of the H1N1 
virus, there has been extensive media coverage and a run on 
medical face masks and flu medicine at local pharmacies, with 
reports of the price of masks in some stores more than 
doubling within a few days. 
 
¶3. In response to high absenteeism at schools in Bishkek, and 
in order to limit contagion, the government closed all state 
run schools in Bishkek between November 23 and November 30. 
The government also temporarily closed over 400 schools in 
most other regions of the country. The infection rate in the 
Bishkek schools before the closure was reported to average 
between 28 to 35 percent of students, with some schools 
reporting an infection rate as high as 45 percent.  These 
numbers are similar to the rate reported by the international 
school that most Embassy children attend, where the 
absenteeism rate in mid-November was approximately 25 
percent, though it has since fallen to a more normal rate. 
 
¶4. The World Health Organization has agreed to provide the 
Kyrgyz government with enough H1N1 vaccines to vaccinate 10 
percent of the population, or about 525,000 people.  The 
Ministry of Health has developed a plan to vaccinate priority 
groups, including health care workers, pregnant women, 
individuals with particular chronic diseases, and critical 
state workers (e.g., border guards).  The Kyrgyz government 
estimates that the cost of administering the vaccination plan 
will be approximately $160,000, and it is seeking donor 
support to cover these costs. 
 
¶5. Absenteeism due to the flu and colds at Post has also been 
running high.  One agency at post closed down entirely for 
two days as only two staff members were not out of the office 
ill.  The Transit Center at Manas was good enough to provide 
Post with left-over H1N1 vaccine, allowing us to offer it to 
all our staff and dependents over the age of four (the 
version supplied to the Center is not approved by the FDA for 
children under four).  So far, two embassy staff members have 
tested positive for H1N1.  Given the cramped work conditions 
at Embassy Bishkek, Post management has requested that all 
symptomatic employees not to come to work. 
MEMMOTT