Post-Covid, North Korea is on alert over an “acute enteric epidemic” that has spread from the city of Haeju in South Hwanghae province. According to state media reports, at least 800 families have been affected by this virus, which affects the gastrointestinal tract and which health experts say could be cholera or typhoid.
The new outbreak, first reported on Thursday, is putting further strain on the country already hit by the public health emergency linked to the wave of Covid-19 infections. Leader Kim Jong-un, state news agency KCNA reports, has already taken preventive measures, including quarantines, “intensive screening of all residents,” and special treatment and monitoring of vulnerable individuals such as children and the elderly. The agency also reported another 19,310 new fever cases, without specifying how many patients tested positive for the coronavirus. In all, more than 4.6 million people have shown symptoms of fever since a Covid outbreak was first recognized in mid-May.
