DPRK strives to prevent spread of bird flu virus

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea(DPRK) was striving to prevent the spread of bird flu virus H5N1, the official KCNA news agency reported Monday. The virus found in ducks at the Tudan Duck Farm in Pyongyang was introduced by migratory birds, the Academy of Agricultural Science said on May 7. The KCNA said the DPRK had briefed UN agencies on the situation and culled as many as 160,000 ducks at the farm. More than 1,360 veterinary epidemic control teams were working throughout the country to monitor poultry and the movement of wild birds, the KCNA said. Measures like providing intensive hygienic information to inhabitants, as well as quarantining fowl, duck, pigeon and other domestic poultry, had been taken, it said. Preventive measures against H7N9 virus had also been taken under the direction of the State Emergency Anti-epidemic Committee, it said. The ruling party's Rodong Sinmun newspaper said Saturday that anti-bird flu measures had been implemented at all administrative levels of the government and authorities were checking the health of hundreds of people everyday.