Bird Flu Confirmed in North Korea

Recent rumors of an outbreak of avian flu in North Korea have been confirmed by an announcement from the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Quoting an anti-epidemic official, the KCNA stated,

"Two or three chicken factories, including one in Hadang, was recently hit by the avian influenza."

"We've already cremated tens of thousands of chickens," the official said. "Experts and scientists are also cooperating to eradicate the virus."

Another report states that hundreds of thousands of chickens have been destroyed. However, no human cases of bird flu have been identified, KCNA said. South Korean officials believe the outbreak will have no impact on South Korea because no poultry has been shipped into the country from North Korea.

Unfortunately, migrating wild fowl can carry the bird flu just about anywhere so, it's probably not unreasonable to expect the disease to show up in South Korea at some time in the near future.