Bird flu outbreak in North Korea contained: FAO
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-04-26 16:43

North Korea has successfully contained a recent outbreak of bird flu but it needs to continue surveillance and strengthen veterinary services, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said.

An H7 strain of the bird flu virus had been detected recently on three poultry farms near North Korea's capital, Pyongyang.

The virus, which causes severe sickness in chickens, was not directly related to the H5N1 avian influenza virus circulating in other parts of Asia and which has claimed 52 lives since late 2003, the FAO said in a report published on its website on Monday.

"The (H7) virus appears to have been eliminated from the three infected farms by combining culling of around 218,000 infected chickens, vaccination of unaffected birds in unaffected poultry houses and strict biosecurity measures," said FAO consultant Les Sims.

Sims travelled to Pyongyang to advise the North Korean veterinary authorities on bird flu control.

North Korea had acted "promptly and appropriately" and provided essential information in a timely manner, Sims said.

The official declaration to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) was also done in due time, he said.

The FAO sent three experts to the state to assist its authorities in diagnosis and disease management.

"Reagents and laboratory tools provided by FAO will assist in continuing the battle against the virus, but additional strengthening of veterinary diagnostic and surveillance capacity is seen as a priority to ensure that this work is completed," said Joseph Domenech, FAO's Chief Veterinary Officer.

The FAO had urged North Korea to continue bird flu surveillance throughout the country.

After the disease broke out on February 24, North Korea's official media said, infected farms were cordoned off and quarantine checks tightened at seaports and airports.

Sale of poultry meat and eggs has been banned and all poultry vaccinated against the virus.