February 5, 2004

 

 

North Korea Steps Up Bird Flu Preventive Measures

 

North Korea said Thursday it is taking measures to prevent local outbreaks of the Asian bird flu, including beefing up inspections of foreign travelers. It also said leader Kim Jong Il has given personal instructions on how to ward off the disease.

 

However, the North's official KCNA news agency didn't report on whether there were bird-flu cases in the country.

 

"Brisk work to prevent bird flu is going on in Korea," KCNA said. "Leader Kim Jong Il on several occasions in January gave detailed instructions to prevent bird flu, (which is) rapidly spreading in Asian countries."

 

The avian disease has hit several Asian countries this winter, claiming 10 human lives in Vietnam and five in Thailand, as well as tens of millions of chickens in the region.

 

South Korea has culled more than 2.4 million chickens and duck to try to contain the disease.

 

"Flawless measures are being taken to conduct strict veterinary and hygienic quarantines at ports, on border lines, at airports, and especially in the areas along the Demarcation Line for the prevention of the infiltration of its virus," KCNA said.

 

The Demarcation Line lies at the center of a 4-kilometer-wide buffer separating the two Koreas.

 

"Veterinary inspectors unconditionally intercept problematic items from areas of the outbreak of the flu. Notably, processed poultry is subjected to strict inspection," KCNA said.

 

"The examination of foreign travelers is on a fairly high level," it said.

 

North Korean anti-epidemic officials and doctors have launched a campaign to enlighten the public on the dangers of the disease, how it spreads and what could be done to prevent it, the report said.