British travellers planning a trip to North Korea have been urged to avoid live animal markets after an outbreak of avian influenza – bird ‘flu.
The disease has struck on a number of poultry farms in the country, including one near the capital, Pyongyang. The Foreign Office said steps were being taken by the Korean authorities to prevent the outbreak spreading to other farms, and there had been no reported cases of the disease among farm workers.
But the Government department has urged travellers to steer clear of areas posing potential danger. The Foreign Office said in a statement: “In early 2004, 31 people died in parts of South East Asia from avian influenza and there have been further outbreaks in the region in 2005 including human fatalities.
Although the risk of transmission from infected poultry to humans is low, visitors to the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea should take the utmost precautions to avoid contact with poultry, live animal markets and other places where they might come into contact with live poultry.”
Report by News From Abroad
