Cablegate: Beijing Confirms Third Avian Influenza Fatality in 2008

VZCZCXRO8077
RR RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
DE RUEHBJ #0688 0580607
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 270607Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5337
INFO RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 8989
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 3868
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0026
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 8910
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 8651
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 5852
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHDC 0713
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BEIJING 000688

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

BANGKOK FOR REO AND CDC
HHS FOR OGHA - STEIGER, HICKEY
CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID AND COGH

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU EAGR CH
SUBJECT: BEIJING CONFIRMS THIRD AVIAN INFLUENZA FATALITY IN 2008

REF A) GUANGZHOU 119, B) BEIJING 657, C) 07 BEIJING 585

1. (SBU) The Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed on February 26 to
Embassy Beijing the third avian influenza death in China in 2008.
As reported in REF A, the Government of China had previously
notified Embassy Beijing and Consulate Guangzhou of the suspected AI
case, a 44-year-old female migrant worker that fell ill on February
16 after exposure to sick and dead poultry. On February 25, one day
after MOH's initial notification, the woman died. MOH reported that
the laboratories at the China Center for Disease Control and
Prevention confirmed that samples taken from the victim had tested
positive for the avian influenza virus (A/H5N1). MOH also reported
that eighty three persons that had prior close contact with the
victim have been placed under medical observation. None of the
persons have exhibited any symptoms of the disease. MOH's
notification did not have any information on whether poultry in the
area had been culled.

RANDT

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