March 16, 2006

North Korea monitoring migratory birds as flu precaution

North Korea said Wednesday (March 15) it was closely monitoring migratory birds as a precaution against bird flu and had locked up all local poultry in an effort to protect them from any birds carrying the disease.

"Bird flu, in general, is spread widely by wild birds," said Mun Ung Jo, vice chairman of North Korea's main quarantine office.

"The posts observing the movement of migrants are now reporting every day the dates when they fly in and out and the abnormal symptoms that occur during their stay and stepping up surveillance, including examining dead birds," he said.

All local poultry has been "cooped up" to prevent contact with wild birds, the official said.

North Korea has been on the lookout for bird flu due to a spate of outbreaks abroad, including in neighbouring China.

Bird flu hit the North early last year, forcing the impoverished country to slaughter about 210,000 chickens and other poultry. Last April, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said the outbreak was successfully contained. No new cases of bird flu have since been reported.

In January, there was a news report that a woman infected with bird flu had been hospitalised in North Korea in December. North Korea denied the report.