Coronavirus: North Korea reports another infectious disease outbreak amid Covid battle

Kim Jong-un sent medicines to western port city of Haeju to help patients suffering from the ‘acute enteric epidemic’ as soon as possible state media reported

Reported outbreak comes as Pyongyang tackles its first Covid outbreak. It declared a state of emergency last month, amid concerns over a lack of vaccines

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Published: 10:19am, 16 Jun 2022Updated: 1:35pm, 16 Jun 2022

North Korea has reported an outbreak of an unidentified intestinal epidemic on Thursday, potentially adding to strains on the isolated country’s healthcare system which is battling an unprecedented Covid-19 wave.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent medicines to the western port city of Haeju on Wednesday to help patients suffering from the “acute enteric epidemic” as soon as possible, according to the North’s state media KCNA.

It did not report the number of people affected, or elaborate what the disease was, but enteric refers to the gastrointestinal tract.

“[Kim Jong-un] stressed the need to contain the epidemic at the earliest date possible by taking a well-knit measure to quarantine the suspected cases to thoroughly curb its spread, confirming cases through epidemiological examination and scientific tests,” KCNA said.

The reported outbreak comes as the North tackles its first outbreak of Covid-19 infections. It declared a state of emergency last month, amid concerns over a lack of vaccines and medical supplies.

South Korea’s spy agency earlier told lawmakers that waterborne diseases, such as typhoid, were already widespread in the country before it announced the coronavirus outbreak.

“Intestinal diseases such as typhoid and shigellosis are not particularly new in North Korea but what’s troubling is that it comes at a time when the country is already struggling from Covid-19,” said professor Shin Young-jeon at Hanyang University’s College of Medicine in Seoul.