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North Korea says hundreds of families ill with intestinal disease

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="This picture taken on June 10, 2022 and released from North Korea" s="" official="" Korean="" Central="" News="" Agency="" on="" Saturday="" shows="" workers="" disinfecting="" the="" interior="" of="" Pyongyang="" International="" Airport="" as="" part="" measures="" against="" COVID-19.="" KCNA="" via="" KNS="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/afp/06/11/20220611-covid-north-korea-afp-1.jpg"/><figcaption>This picture taken on June 10, 2022 and released from North Korea&#x27;s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Saturday shows workers disinfecting the interior of Pyongyang International Airport as part of measures against COVID-19. <em>KCNA via KNS/AFP</em></figcaption></figure></div><p><br/>SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea said Friday that hundreds of families have fallen ill with an unidentified intestinal disease, heaping pressure on a crumbling healthcare system already strained by Covid-19.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/06/02/22/who-north-korea-covid-outbreak-likely-getting-worse">WHO: North Korea COVID outbreak likely ‘getting worse’</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/05/21/22/biden-offers-aid-vaccines-to-covid-stricken-north-korea">Biden offers aid, vaccines to COVID-stricken North Korea</a></li></ul><div> </div><p>Pyongyang announced its first coronavirus cases last month and activated a &quot;maximum emergency epidemic prevention system&quot;, with leader Kim Jong Un putting himself front and center of the government&#x27;s response.</p><p>Even so, the virus tore through the unvaccinated population of 25 million, with more than 4.5 million cases of &quot;fever&quot; and 73 deaths to date, according to figures published by state media.</p><p>Building on the country&#x27;s woes, the official KCNA this week announced a new &quot;acute enteric epidemic&quot; in South Hwanghae province, with Kim urging officials to &quot;contain the epidemic at the earliest date possible&quot;. </p><p>In a possible sign of the seriousness of the situation, Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un&#x27;s powerful sister, was one of a group of senior officials who reportedly personally donated medicine to try and help.</p><p>The medicine will be delivered to &quot;over 800 families suffering from the acute epidemic which broke out in some areas of South Hwanghae Province,&quot; state media KCNA reported Friday.</p><p>The figure suggests at least 1,600 people have been infected with the enteric disease.</p><p>The reports have sparked speculation that the unspecified disease may be cholera or typhoid.</p><p>If confirmed the outbreak could worsen the country&#x27;s chronic food shortages, as South Hwanghae province is one of the North&#x27;s main agricultural regions.</p><p>Experts have warned of a major public health emergency in the North, which has one of the world&#x27;s worst medical care systems, should Covid spread.</p><p>The impoverished country has poorly equipped hospitals, few intensive care units and no Covid treatment drugs or mass testing capability.</p><p>&quot;With the North&#x27;s much outdated medical infrastructure, an acute intestinal sickness could flare at any time,&quot; an official from Seoul&#x27;s unification ministry said, according to Yonhap news agency.</p><p>Seoul is willing to assist the North in handling the new outbreak should Pyongyang wish to accept it, the official said.</p><p>South Korea previously offered to send vaccines and other medical aid to the North to help it deal with its coronavirus outbreak. </p><p>Pyongyang has not officially responded.</p><div><strong>kjk/ceb</strong></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2081832" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

North Korea said Friday that hundreds of families have fallen ill with an unidentified intestinal disease.