Xinhua News: Extensive H5N1 Outbreaks In North Korean Poultry

 

# 8452

 

Although we occasionally get hints of outbreaks of bird flu, or FMD, in North Korea, very rarely do we details out of that closed and secretive nation. Given the amount of bird flu activity (H5N1 & H5N8) we’ve seen reported out of South Korea over the past decade, the assumption has been that unreported bird flu outbreaks probably occur with some regularity in the DPRK as well.

 

This morning Yonhap News, Xinhua News, and others are reporting on a major outbreak of H5N1 in North Korea, along with reports of FMD, which have been ongoing for several weeks.

 

While this would be a concern in any part of the world, the culling of thousands of birds is a particular concern to a nation where widespread hunger is all too often a reality.   Here is the Xinhua News Report.

 

DPRK hit by outbreak of bird flu, FMD

English.news.cn   2014-04-09 16:48:27
 

PYONGYANG, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has been fighting an outbreak of bird flu since last month, culling tens of thousands of poultry so far, official news agency KCNA reported Wednesday.

A chicken farm in the capital first reported signs of avian influenza (AI), known as the H5N1 virus, on March 21, and the virus has spread to other poultry farms, KCNA reported, citing Agriculture Ministry director Ri Kyung Kun.

"(We) are suffering from extensive economic damage as tens of thousands (of poultry) have either fallen dead or been culled," the report said.

As part of efforts to control the highly contagious virus, the DPRK authorities "set up an emergency quarantine commission and declared an emergency prevention situation across the nation," it said.

"(The government) has controlled the traffic, come up with quarantine measures and buried the culled. But the disease shows no sign of dying down and continues to spread," the KCNA said. The country was hard hit by AI last year.

The KCNA also confirmed an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in cows, which was first spotted in Kangwon Province near the border on March 14, but gave no details.

In February, the DPRK said an FMD outbreak at a pig farm in a Pyongyang suburb led to the culling of thousands of pigs.

 

 

In May of 2013 the DPRK informed the OIE of an outbreak of H5N1 near Pyongyang, followed two weeks later with a report indicating the outbreak had been limited and was `resolved’.   Prior to that outbreak, you have to go back to 2006 to find an official report filed on H5N1 out of North Korea.

 

Today’s reporting states `The country was hard hit by AI last year’, which would suggest a larger outbreak than had been previously acknowledged.

 

Although today’s media report indicates this outbreak has been ongoing for several weeks, to date I can find no reports filed with the OIE or the FAO.

 

In the past South Korea has provided emergency aid and assistance to the North during bird flu containment operations, seeing it as not only a humanitarian response, but also one that helps protect their nation and the world from the further spread and evolution of the virus.  

 

With tensions mounting between  North & South Korea, and between the DPRK and much of the rest of the world, it is unclear how much aid would be offered – or for that matter, accepted – in this current outbreak. 

FMD: North Korea’s OIE Report

 

 

# 5310

 

Late this week North Korea officially notified the OIE of a spate of recent FMD (Food and Mouth Disease) outbreaks in their nation going back to December of 2010.

 

Given the large number of outbreaks in neighboring South Korea over the past few months, and unofficial intelligence reports (see Reports: FMD Suspected In North Korea) beginning nearly a month ago, this notification wasn’t completely unexpected.

 

Foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of cattle and swine. It also affects sheep, goats, deer, and other cloven-hooved ruminants. FMD is not a threat to people and no human health risks are associated with the disease. FMD is caused by a virus. Signs of illness can appear after an incubation period of 1 to 8 days, but often develop within 3 days. There are seven known types and more than 60 subtypes of the FMD virus.

 

 

FMD (not to be confused with HFMD – a usually mild viral illness common to children) is endemic in many parts of the world (Africa, Asia, South America, some parts of Europe), but has been eradicated in many others.

 

The full OIE report is available available here. 

 

It details 48 recent outbreaks involving 500 cattle, nearly 10,000 swine, and 165 goats.  The culling of livestock (if ordered) was not mentioned in this report.

 

According to this initial notification, a locally produced vaccine was employed, but it `was not effective to control the disease’.  The source of these outbreaks was listed as unknown or inconclusive.

 

The following map shows the first 48 outbreaks.

 

 

Under Epidemiological comments, this report indicates that this initial notification is incomplete, that additional outbreaks have been detected, and that further details are expected.

 

This immediate notification report has been prepared and published by the Animal Health Information Department in the meantime and outbreaks are gathered by clusters of outbreaks and by affected district. This is only an approximation of their location.

 

When the exact data on the location of each outbreak will be provided by the National Veterinary Authorities, this report will be amended to reflect more precise locations of the outbreaks and the disease distribution. Not all the outbreaks are processed since approximate geographic locations have not been found.

 

There are additional outbreaks notified in January that are not yet processed and that will be processed as soon as the completed information is received from the country.

 

South Korea meanwhile continues to struggle with their own outbreaks of FMD, with their latest OIE report showing 148 outbreaks since November of 2010.

 

Both Japan and South Korea detected FMD in the spring of 2010, and after the destruction of 290,000 head of livestock, Japan declared their FMD crisis over in August.

 

South Korea, however, continues to find infected livestock and has destroyed millions of head of their combined swine & cattle herds in an effort to contain the virus.

North Korea: FMD Outbreak

 

 

# 5306

 

 

Three weeks after the first intelligence reports emerged suggesting that North Korea was battling outbreaks of FMD (Foot and Mouth Disease) (see Reports: FMD Suspected In North Korea), the NK government has reportedly requested assistance from the UN in combating the disease.

 

Two media reports, then I’ll return with a bit more on FMD. First this from the Korean Herald.

 

U.N. to help with FMD outbreaks in N.K.

2011-02-11 19:13

Seoul remains lukewarm toward assistance amid stalemate in ties

The U.N. has said it will send experts to North Korea next week over a purported foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, in the first international move to help the impoverished state curb the fast-spreading livestock virus.

(Continue . . . )

 

And this from the Daily NK, a NK government opposition newspaper published in South Korea.

 

North Korea Calls for FMD Assistance

By Cheong Sun Jin, Intern

[2011-02-10 17:52 ]  

North Korea has confirmed suspicions that it is battling an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, meaning that the disease has now reached every corner of the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang unexpectedly reported the outbreak to the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) yesterday, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA).

(Continue . . .)

 

Given that diseases tend not to respect political borders, even one as tightly controlled as the Korean DMZ, it isn’t altogether surprising that North Korea should be seeing outbreaks at the same time that South Korea is dealing with the worst FMD epidemic in their history.

 

According to a recent AFP report, South Korea’s agriculture ministry has spent (US) $1.7 billion fighting their FMD epidemic, culling and burying more than 3 million head of livestock since November. At the same time, the South has been combating a major outbreak of bird flu.

 

FMD (not to be confused with HFMD – a usually mild viral illness common to children) is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cloven hoof animals, but almost never `infects’ humans.

 

The virus primarily spreads through the movement of infected animals, contaminated vehicles, or feed.

 

Humans are also capable of spreading the disease, as the virus may be carried on clothing and footwear for days, and reportedly can remain viable in human nasal passages for more than 24 hours.

 

FMD is endemic in many parts of the world (Africa, Asia, South America, some parts of Europe), but has been eradicated in many others.  The last outbreak of FMD in the United States was in 1929 – but vigilance is maintained to prevent its return.

 

(current outbreaks FMD – Source OIE)

 

There are 7 known types of FMD, along with numerous sub-types. Immunity to one type does not provide immunity to the others, and the virus continues to mutate, making it even harder to create and maintain vaccine stocks.

 

Both Japan and Korea detected FMD in the spring of 2010, and after the destruction of 290,000 head of livestock, Japan declared their FMD crisis over in August.  

 

In South Korea, however, outbreaks have continued. In an attempt to control FMD, in addition to culling, South Korea has embarked on an extensive vaccination campaign.

 

North Korea, on the other hand, lacks many of the basic resources found in the South. Chronic food shortages make culling of animals a difficult choice, and vaccines against FMD are currently unavailable in the north.

 

South Korea has supplied emergency relief supplies and expertise to the North in the past when FMD was reported.  But in the wake of the attack on Yeonpyeong Island in November and the sinking of South Korea's Cheonan warship last March, relations between the two nations are in serious decline.

 

While there is little enthusiasm for assisting the North in the wake of these recent provocations, allowing a virulent animal disease to spread unchecked just across the DMZ may ultimately prove to be a far less attractive option.

Reports: FMD Suspected In North Korea

 

 

 

# 5239

 

 

While not totally unexpected, the announcement today that FMD (Foot & Mouth Disease) has apparently been detected in North Korean livestock is worrisome news.

 

First, links to several reports (h/t Makoto on FluTrackers for the first one), then some discussion.

 

From the Korea JoongAng Daily:

 

Foot-and-mouth now in North, says military

 

January 18, 2011

North Korea is apparently suffering from its own bout of foot-and-mouth disease, according to a South Korean military official.

 

“According to South Korean and U.S. intelligence, roads have been blocked by the military near Pyongyang to decrease movement of people,” said the official, who asked not to be named. The source said that quarantine measures are proving difficult for North Korea, which lacks preventive medicine such as vaccines and quicklime in which to bury contagious animals.

(Continue . . . )

 

From the Korea Times:

 

N. Korea may have FMD outbreak

Kim Young-jin

Foot-and-mouth disease, which has caused South Korea to put down some two million heads of livestock, may have hit North Korea as well, officials here said Tuesday.

 

The officials cited recent visitors to the North who claim the disease broke out late last year in the northern part of the country.

(Continue . . . )

 

And from the DailyNK:

 

Intelligence Suggests North Korea Suffering FMD

By Kim So Yeol

[2011-01-18 18:28 ]  

Evidence has emerged that foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) may have broken out in North Korea. Therefore, the question of whether the South Korean government might provide aid to combat any proven outbreak of the disease has arisen.

(Continue . . . )

 

We get very little direct news out of North Korea, and frequently must rely on observations from the few international relief workers allowed in and out of their country, and military intelligence analyses.

 

Often these stories are never verified.

 

The food situation in the North has been described as dire for several years, and so the reports above that suggest that infected livestock are being consumed rather than culled – while not verified – at least sound plausible.

 

FMD is described by the USDA thusly:

 

Foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of cattle and swine. It also affects sheep, goats, deer, and other cloven-hooved ruminants. FMD is not a threat to people and no human health risks are associated with the disease. FMD is caused by a virus. Signs of illness can appear after an incubation period of 1 to 8 days, but often develop within 3 days. There are seven known types and more than 60 subtypes of the FMD virus.

 

FMD (not to be confused with HFMD – a usually mild viral illness common to children) is endemic in many parts of the world (Africa, Asia, South America, some parts of Europe), but has been eradicated in many others. 

 

The last outbreak of FMD in the United States was in 1929 – but vigilance is maintained to prevent its return.

 

Both Japan and South Korea detected FMD in the spring of 2010, and after the destruction of 290,000 head of livestock, Japan declared their FMD crisis over in August.

 

South Korea, however, continues to find infected livestock and has destroyed roughly 15%  (2.1 million animals) of their combined swine & cattle herds in an effort to contain the virus.

 

South Korea has also reportedly destroyed more than 3 million poultry in response to their recent bird flu outbreaks (see S. Korea: Bird Flu Moves North).

 

This is the latest Reuters report on the culling of livestock in South Korea:

 

Major culling in S Korea over foot-and-mouth

Published: 6:09PM Tuesday January 18, 2011 Source: Reuters

 

 

FMD is very difficult to eradicate, as is evident by the ongoing struggles in South Korea to contain their recent outbreak. 

 

North Korea, which lacks many of the resources found in the South, is far less well equipped to deal with an FMD outbreak.

 

Although South Korea has supplied emergency relief supplies and expertise to the North in the past when FMD was reported, in the wake of the attack on Yeonpyeong Island in November and the sinking of South Korea's Cheonan warship last March, relations between the two nations are in serious decline.

 

Aside from the obvious humanitarian issues involved, the destabilizing effects of another agricultural/food crisis in North Korea - combined with the prospect of having FMD becoming entrenched in a neighboring country – should make these latest reports of particular concern to interests in both South Korea and China.