Bird flu monitoring bolstered

South Korean health officials said yesterday they are stepping up quarantine inspections at border checkpoints to prepare for the possible spread of bird flu from North Korea.

The North’s official Korean Central News Agency confirmed the outbreak Sunday.

“North Korea has been distinguished as an avian influenza suspect nation since March 11,” said Kim Young-taek of the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “Although the report was not confirmed then, temperature screening equipment was set up at Dorasan and Goseong checkpoints to scan people coming back from the Kaesong Industrial Complex and Mount Geumgang.”

Plans to import poultry from the North have been postponed indefinitely.

“Our plan to import North Korean poultry for the first time was canceled last week,” said Kim Jae-hong of the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service.

Unification Ministry officials have noted Sunday that it was unusual for the North to admit to an internal problem, adding that there was a high chance that Pyongyang will ask for international aid to help its efforts to stop bird flu.

by Lee Min-a