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North Korea suffers major bird flu outbreak as Kim Jong-un admits first coronavirus case
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Avian flu viruses have the potential to infect humans and cause a pandemic. It has not been reported that this outbreak has mutated and made the jump from animal to human. A North Korean source said: “An outbreak of avian influenza led to mass deaths at eight chicken farms, including a farm in Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province.”
The source spoke to the online publication Daily NK, they added: “The incident was reported all the way up to the central authorities.”
The informant who covertly contacted the publication from within North Korea said: “The government ordered agencies focused on livestock in each province to sterilise facilities and regularly monitor the implementation of disease control measures concerning livestock.”
In North Korea many citizens keep livestock in their homes as a necessity to survive in a country that has had frequent famines caused by mismanagement by central government.
The insider said: “Given that many North Koreans raise chickens or geese at home, municipal and district animal disease prevention offices have been told to make sure they also check animals living in these homes.”
North Korea authorities have given owners of poultry farms only one chance to rid their premises of avian flu.
If inspectors return and discover that the premises are still infected then it will be deemed, “not a mistake” and a direct violation of party orders.
This avian flu outbreak has come at the same time the reclusive nation announced that it had its first coronavirus infection.
Totalitarian leader Kim Jong Un then declared a state of emergency in the country.
The last major avian flu outbreak in North Korea was in February.
Scientists have created experimental H5N1 vaccines to combat avian flu if it makes the jump to humans.
The disease has a much higher fatality rate than coronavirus.
The mortality rate for humans with H5N1 is a shocking 60 percent.
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In 2012 it was discovered that scientists had created a mutated airborne version of H5N1 bird flu.
This was controversial because if this version was ever to leak from a laboratory it could cause devastation.
The controversial study found five mutations necessary for the H5N1 virus to become airborne.
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